#652: CHAPLIN, Charles: Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
CHAPLIN, Charles (United States)
Monsieur Verdoux [1947]
Spine #652
Blu-ray
Blu-ray
Charlie Chaplin plays shockingly against type in his most controversial film, a brilliant and bleak black comedy about money, marriage, and murder. Chaplin is a twentieth-century bluebeard, an enigmatic family man who goes to extreme lengths to support his wife and child, attempting to bump off a series of wealthy widows (including one played by the indefatigable Martha Raye, in a hilarious performance). This deeply philosophical and wildly entertaining film is a work of true sophistication, both for the moral questions it dares to ask and for the way it deconstructs its megastar's lovable on-screen persona.
124 minutes
Black & White
Black & White
Monaural
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2013
Director/Writers
Based on an idea by Orson Welles.
Charles Chaplin was 58 when he wrote and directed Monsieur Verdoux.
Other Chaplin films in the Collection:
#799: The Kid (1921)
#996: The Circus (1928/1969)
#680: City Lights (1931)
#543: Modern Times (1936)
#565: The Great Dictator (1940)
#615: The Gold Rush (1925/1942)
#756: Limelight (1952)
The Film
Other Chaplin films in the Collection:
#799: The Kid (1921)
#996: The Circus (1928/1969)
#680: City Lights (1931)
#543: Modern Times (1936)
#565: The Great Dictator (1940)
#615: The Gold Rush (1925/1942)
#756: Limelight (1952)
The Film
Film Rating (0-60):
The Booklet
Forty-page booklet featuring an essay by critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and reprinted pieces by Chaplin and André Bazin.
Commentary
None.
Chaplin Today: Monsieur Verdoux
A 2003 documentary on the film’s production and release, featuring filmmaker Claude Chabrol and actor Norman Lloyd.
Charlie Chaplin and the American Press
A documentary featuring the director of the Chaplin company Roy Export, Kate Guyonvarch, and author Charles Maland.
Illustrated audio interview
With actor Nash.
Radio advertisements and trailers
Extras Rating (0-40):
60
The ExtrasThe Booklet
Forty-page booklet featuring an essay by critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and reprinted pieces by Chaplin and André Bazin.
Commentary
None.
Chaplin Today: Monsieur Verdoux
A 2003 documentary on the film’s production and release, featuring filmmaker Claude Chabrol and actor Norman Lloyd.
Charlie Chaplin and the American Press
A documentary featuring the director of the Chaplin company Roy Export, Kate Guyonvarch, and author Charles Maland.
Illustrated audio interview
With actor Nash.
Radio advertisements and trailers
Extras Rating (0-40):
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