The Idle Class Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: The Idle Class 
Year: 1921
Director: Charles Chaplin
Country: US
Language: English
 

In 1921 director Charles Chaplin was still a fresh film comedian who had a lot more to accomplish. He had acclaim, wealth and an incredible amount of potential. Though he wasn't at his political peak, which would come after the end of the silent period, he still had completed several important political films like Shoulder Arms (1918), The Immigrant (1917) and  The Pilgrim (1922). The Idle Class would arguably be the funniest of Chaplin's early works.

The plot here is between Charlie the wealthy and alcoholic husband and Charlie the Tramp: the idle rich and the idle poor. In the opening scene wealthy Edna descends from a Pullman car while the Tramp crawls out from under another one. At a fancy masquerade ball Edna's husband appears as a knight whose visor is stuck closed. The Tramp shows up, running from the law, and is mistaken for the husband. Edna finds the new "husband" more to her liking than the real on.

The Idle Class is incredibly important to the history of cinema because it is the inspiration for Chaplin's much more renowned film The Great Dictator (1940).  That time Chaplin's theme of mistaken identity was used to mock the most feared dictator on the planet: Adolf Hitler. While Chaplin's social commentary isn't as brazen in The Idle Class, it certainly is remarkably intelligent. I wouldn't necessarily say that the film is an exploration of the gap between the rich and the poor, but an insight into romance. Charlie the wealthy is too busy getting drunk to notice his wife, Charlie the Tramp is too busy playing gold. Neither are detestable characters, but both are idle in regards to love and romance.

 Chaplin's film is clever and brilliantly constructed, each gag is handled with delicate care and perfection. Chaplin's "economy of expression" in this film shows his true genius. Using few title cards he creates a somewhat complicated story that is easy to follow and enjoy, this would be incredibly difficult for any other Director at that time. In The Idle Class Chaplin explores what he knows best, the absurdity of human behavior and the deflation of human ego.

In conclusion, The Idle Class is a timeless Chaplin short that will leave you in stitches from laughing so hard. It has great historical importance, as well as cinematic importance. If any film-maker wishes to learn how to make a comedic film, then this is definitely the place to start. Chaplin's comedic timing is absolutely perfect. Praise it! 5/5