Extract
[...] Chaplin mixed cinema and circus; he was both an actor and a performer. This was new, as the world of entertainment was much poorer than that of cinema, and this mix of the two was unknown until then. In his films, Chaplin often looked directly at the camera, as if asking the audience to get involved in what was happening. His films involved the public. In 'Modern Times' for example, we follow the 'vagabond' in a factory, in this new world that was developing across the UK, and we laugh with him at the absurdity of certain scenes. [...]
[...] Overall, I would say that Charlie Chaplin's cinema influenced British society. Initially, it was used to show people the condition of the working class and the great chasm between the rich and the poor, then it was used as an anti-war tool that united and comforted British combatants. His ideas were adopted by British society as a whole, and his technical innovations were applauded. His influence is very present today with popular artists such as Monty Python, Mr. Bean or even the delicate humor of 'Downton Abbey'. [...]
[...] Although the United States went through an anti-communist phase with the McCarthy trials, the United Kingdom remained proud of its emigrant artist, and many things changed thanks to Chaplin8. He was almost single-handedly responsible for the rebirth of British cinema, the film industry increasingly investing in local talent. And he was at the center of a new form of politics: comedic truth. His political ideas helped shape a large part of the political campaign in the United Kingdom. Politics was no longer seen as a dismal and desperate enterprise, but as something more popular, something that could bring joy, something that could unite people. [...]
[...] His character of Charlie in 'The Vagabond' for example is extremely popular2. Created in 1914, Chaplin used it in various films until 'Modern Times' in 19363. This character is a vagabond with a big heart, imitating the manners of a gentleman to get what he wants. This takes place before World War II, the economy is in decline and the far right is on the rise across Europe, but Chaplin uses humor and laughter to create this lovable marginal. The public falls in love with this unlucky beggar, and for the first time, silent films become so popular in the UK that the film industry invests more and more money locally. [...]
[...] Has Chaplin's cinema been a tool for change in Anglo-Saxon society? - Grand oral LLCER « Let us envision the impossible. The greatest achievements in History were conquered when they seemed impossible1. This quote from Chaplin is enough to understand how deeply the artist was involved in politics. Born British and self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Charlie Chaplin was both a director, actor, poet, singer, politician, all embodied by a simple man. His influence on British society is still relevant today, and we will try to show how it became so important and how it has endured. [...]
