If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

A Masterpiece!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

If you've ever felt you should one day watch a Charlie Chaplin film (or a silent film in general) and you're a rom-com fan, then this is the one for you! It is even credited as a "Comedy Romance" in the opening credits, and is among the very first of the genre. Chaplin, in his persona of The Tramp (replete with disconcertingly Hitler-y moustache), falls in love with a beautiful flower seller (Virginia Sherrill). She is blind, and mistakes him for a wealthy benefactor. Across the course of their love story, the Tramp goes from low to high to low to very low and ultimately, to one of the purest moments of joy ever shown on screen. It's funny, it's charming, it's wacky, and above all, it is dreamily romantic. A true classic, in every sense of the word.This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #1.

This silent cinema staple doesn't quite have the heart of 'The Kid (1921)' or anything quite as brilliantly entertaining as the final slapstick set-piece from 'The Gold Rush (1925)', but it does have its lion's share of memorably mute moments proving that Chaplin really is the king of this kind of comedy. 'City Lights (1931)' is enjoyable throughout and tells its story deftly, but there are several slow segments - perhaps somewhat expected from a film of this age but not excused, considering that the era and talent have produced pieces superior in this regard - ultimately making this a fun watch which often represents uproarious cinematic entertainment in its purest form but isn't the best of the bunch. 6/10

One of the greatest, purest, poignant films of all time

Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" contains a blend of humor and humanity that make it memorable for everyone who watches it. Although made very much in the old-fashioned silent film tradition, much of it is timeless, too.After a few minutes of slapstick at the beginning, Charlie's "little tramp" character makes two acquaintances. He meets a blind girl selling flowers, who mistakes him for a rich man, and the two become very fond of each other. Then he meets a real millionaire, who is drunk, depressed, and about to commit suicide. In a comic scene, the tramp persuades the millionaire not to go through with it, making himself a devoted friend.The tramp soon learns that there is an operation that could give the girl her sight, and tries to think of some way he could help. His scenes with the girl and her grandmother are moving, while his determination to help lead him into some comic escapades - his attempt to win money in a boxing match being particularly funny, and one of Chaplin's best comic pieces. Meanwhile, when his millionaire friend is drunk, he dotes on the tramp, but when sober he forgets who the tramp is, leading to more amusing scenes and occasional trouble for Charlie.All of the comedy leads up to a finale that is one of the best-remembered scenes in any film. "City Lights" shows the power of the camera in the hands of a master, who without words can move his audience or make them laugh. Anyone who appreciates good cinema should see it at least once.