Monsieur Verdoux

Perhaps at the time it was released it wasnt really appreciated or viewed in the right way, and as in the talking chaplin films, which are different from the silents, it almost seems like a different performer. Here we have an orson welles story(for which he was paid, amidst his disintegrating divorce from Rita Hayworth) and its based on a true story of a french serial murderer but Chaplin makes changes from his source material. He changes his character from a lower class con man murderer to a philosopher murderer and develops an existential drama of modern life and values. The story begins and the depression is a backdrop, about the need to have a paycheque in the cities, where more and more people are moving to, and competition and how this effects modern life. Coupled with this in a later scene are a newspaper headline from the spanish civil war, and the fact that Chaplin's character has just lost his wife and child. This makes him very cynical about modern life and critical and opens up a series of relations with women who he in turn murders..and the people he meets reflect the world, men and women, rather than giving and kind they are looking for something else, and he meets a series of women who are not attractive and murders them for money..revenge on a past wrong or he finds something wrong with them? The characters are shown briefly then he elaborates on a relationship with a refugee sprung from jail, and here he waxes philosophical about love and his relations with women and he distinguishes his character as different from others, who become bitter and dont reflect on their past loves and see goodness and kindness in them, and this character so affectionate to the purring cat which she holds and pets, talk at the viewer as much as themselves, and this character appears later having made it rich with a munitions bigwig and betrays charlie and sets him up for the guillotine even though he gave her a wad of cash previously? The theme of betrayal? He meets his end having even put to death an official and shows no remorse and he finds no difference between himself and others in this moral drama? The scene in the boat reminds us of the old drama, and the movie flows smoothly and the dialogue and scene changes at times erudite and like the early Chaplin he tries to avoid being maudlin, and shows the characters as showing little emotion, almost cold hearted and his character is looking for love, and seems increasingly hostile and abrupt especially in prison, in ths satirical comedy...the film is actually modern in ways and stands up well viewed today, and is not political, perhaps Chaplin's politics was what people really didnt like...but his scenes with the women give up a glimpse of love relations in modern times, and bitterness, and how the depression and war changed how we thought about things..

If the willingness to take risks is the mark of a great artist -- and I believe it is -- then Monsieur Verdoux is Charles Chaplin's greatest films. And amidst all the controversy stirred by his portrayal of a serial wife killer, it's easy to forget that it's also a hilarious black comedy with plenty of sharp lines that would have succeeded even without its sociological message.

Chaplin's ability as an actor is pushed to a new level on this film through his portrayal of a morally ambiguous, unscrupulous ex-bank clerk who has no qualms about putting a body into an incinerator in his backyard. While much has been said about this film's break with Chaplin's Little Tramp character, careful examination reveals that Henri Verdoux is just a logical, and daring, advancement in the character: The more devilish, sometimes sadistic sides of the Little Tramp taken to their inevitable conclusion, where comic mischief crosses over the line to villainy. And it's highly compelling, the perfect foil to Chaplin's most heartwarming films (eg. City Lights and Modern Times), allowing Chaplin to express an insidiousness hitherto unexplored. Martha Raye nearly steals the show as the airheaded, supernaturally unkillable Mme. Bonheur (the name itself means "happiness"), and Marilyn Nash is winning as the Belgian derelict who inspires a spark of compassion in Verdoux. The conclusion of this character relationship is one of Chaplin's most complex writing feats: Imagine the ending of City Lights twisted into a dark, steely, uncompromising version of itself.

There are certain moments when the film does threaten to fall into self-involvement -- in his later years, Chaplin did let his ego take ahold of his work -- but in the case of Monsieur Verdoux, he uses this larger-than-life persona so well, and it fits the character so snugly, that the ego becomes an advantage and adds to the depth of the character. And the script has none of the self-conscious mix of silent film and talkies that plagued The Great Dictator; Chaplin had grown quite well into dialogue writing, allowing him to formulate moments of murderous irony that are cuttingly funny. ("Don't pull the cat's tail...") I have no problems with the ending speeches in this film as I did with the final speech of The Great Dictator: In the context of this story, they fit in quite well. Verdoux at the end is a man who has given up all hope, and he seems to mock his own fate and character while unmercifully unveiling his anger at the world. The speeches are not meant to be taken for face value, and I find them thought-provoking and fascinating rather than moralistic or self-important.

I first saw this film at Symphony Space in New York City and the audience was laughing so hard it was in tears. With modern audiences generally less inclined to judge a film by its "moral standing" (Kill Bill, anyone?), Monsieur Verdoux can be seen for what it is: A hilarious, complex sociological examination which identifies social ills while at the same time taking part in it. In that, it is unique in the Chaplin canon and deserves to rank among his most important films.

A quick note about this DVD edition: For some reason, the bonus materials for this film are far less numerous than on the other DVDs in this series -- hence the single-disc package and lower price. By the standards of this series of reissues, the DVD materials are really quite scant -- a useful yet brief half-hour documentary featuring good insight from director Claude Chabrol, a trailer, some storyboards. The picture and sound are of good quality, however, and the film is one to own. Highly recommended.

Monsieur Verdoux (Charles Chaplin) is a sad story about Monsieur Verdoux who is a swindling murderer that charms women whom he marries for their assets which he sells after he has murdered a newly acquired wife. Monsieur Verdoux is driven to commit murder as he feels determined to provide the best possible life style for his family. However, Monsieur Verdoux is lost in his determination as it clouds his moral decision making, which he recognizes. Monsieur Verdoux is the darkest of Charles Chaplin's films, and as in his other films it offers a social message. This ominous message becomes apparent from the beginning of the film as Monsieur Verdoux's gravestone is depicted in the initial shot with Chaplin's voiceover that embarks on how he ended up here. Chaplin's direction offers both tragedy and comedy which in the end leaves the audience with a charming, yet disturbing cinematic experience.