Limelight (1952)

Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight”

Thematic Elements: 

Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight” seems to be his most personal work in his filmography. The film stars an aging vaudeville clown named Calvero whose time seems to be up. Most people see the name ‘Calvero’ as box office poison and now he must go under a different alias just to find work. However, when he does find work, the crowds walk out. Chaplin was at a point in his career when he had fallen out of favor with the pubic, as they were far more invested in his personal affairs than in his art. 

The film seems very melancholic, as Calvero must deal with his own irrelevance. The film is filled with dialogue to pair to this theme, as Calvero tries to convince Thereza not to kill herself. Thereza is a dancer who is letting life get the best of her and is paralyzed with fear to the point of being physically paralyzed as well. Calvero tells her that life is the most important thing, that consciousness is special. He convinces her to live life and follow her passion – just as his life and passions being to fall away. It almost seems reminiscent the timeless film and all it’s adaptions, A Star is Born. Calvero helps Thereza back into the limelight, as her dancing career takes off. Meanwhile, Calvero must deal with his own decline and his own inability to please the crowds. 

In the end, Calvero gives one last performance, and it kills him. Chaplin seems to suggest that the business of entertainment seems to give meaning to his life. Without the people laughing, he cannot bare to continue trying to fill the void of its absence. So, in his final performance, he gives it his all and makes the audience as well as the viewer of the film ring with laughter and applause – all while he tumbles and breaks his spine. Calvero – like Chaplin – seems to find meaning in his life through his art. And even if ‘Limelight’ depicts a vulnerable tableau of Chaplin’s own despair in the finality of it all, it also depicts his passion and love for the art he creates and the very thing that makes his life valuable. As he says in the film after Terry tells him, “I though you hated the theater.” – “I do. I also hate the sight of blood, but it’s in my veins.” 

Camerawork: 

Dream Sequences: As the character Calvero sleeps, Chaplin utilizes the dream sequence to suggest that his artistic clown continues to work on his act in his head. The art does not seem to fall by the wayside, it is always there for Chaplin and Cavlero. The dream sequences are kicked off as Calvero falls to sleep by having the camera zoom in on the image of Calvero on the wall as the shot fizzles into the theater stage. If performing is in Calvero’s veins, it also appears in his dreams as well.

Camera Movements: Charlie Chaplin is not known for being very innovative with his camera. Chaplin is a far more minimalist director and uses his camera in a more efficient manner. He only shows you the necessary information and does not create radical camerawork to tell his story. One thing he does do, however, is his camera follows his characters. This seems like a no-brainer, of course. However, Chaplin’s camera is subtle – the camera sits with the characters when they sit, rise when they rise, and subtly follows their movements. The syncroniciy the camera has with its characters creates a psychological bond. It gives the impression that we the viewer are in sync with the characters, creating a faux empathy. Charlie does not pull out all the stops to get you invested to his dynamic characters – because the characters are so dynamic to begin with that he simply needs to mirror them to create the relationship with the viewer. 

Montage: One great use of montage is when Thereza begins to have success as a ballet dancer. Chaplin fixes her on the stage dancing while background images of buildings, cities, and people cheering flip through the faded background. This use of montage efficiently illustrates Thereza’s rising successes as she continues to play venue after venue. The use of montage here is meant to effectively and quickly make the expositional point that Thereza has found success.

Best Shot: 

The best shot of the film is actually an entire sequence. It is Calvero’s final performance. Chaplin brought along Buster Keaton as the two of them share the screen and share a comedy routine for the first and only time in film history. With the introduction of sound, Chaplin had to make more final revolving around the use of dialogue and had to do away with quite a bit of physical comedy. However, for this sequence, both Chaplin and Keaton are performing their physical comedy akin to their days in the silent era. It is astounding to watch and reminds the viewer just how innovative and genius the director was. Limelight was Chaplin’s final masterwork and one last take on the life of a performer and the inescapable need to create his art and make people laugh.