Shoulder Arms Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Shoulder Arms
Year: 1918
Director: Charles Chaplin
Country: US
Language: English

When Charles Chaplin created his iconic character,The Tramp, in 1914 during a Keystone Film Company picture called Kid Auto Races at Venice, he had no idea that it would create an enormous amount of controversy throughout his career. Though at the time his political beliefs were faint, he eventually evolved into a political figure. Slowly his films would dissect society & in 1940 he would attempt to take down the Nazi Regime himself with The Great Dictator. However before he made his World War Two picture, his comedic answer to World War One had already been seen worldwide.

In Shoulder Arms, The Tramp is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero and goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines in hopes of becoming one. There's just one problem; it's World War One, one of the deadliest wars in the history of mankind.

Many in Hollywood were nervous about the fact that one of their most famous peers was going to tackle the subject of WWI, at the time called the "war to end all wars". The returning soldiers, who were mortified by the horrors they saw in the trenches, knew that the war was no laughing matter. It significantly altered the mood of the world entire, but Chaplin knew of no boundaries. If he could make a comedy out of the tragic life of an immigrant in The Immigrant (1917) why would he think he was incapable of making a comedy out of another tragedy? This is an impressive achievement, though technically a propaganda picture, it's also a seamless blend of humor, wit, suspense and social commentary packed within an 36 minute running time.

Chaplin's war comedy specializes in surreal and and exaggerated set pieces which act as a demonstration of impressive creativity and masterful composition.  In one scene, the soldier dresses up as a tree and actually fools the German soldiers, knocking them out with his big branch arms whenever they get too close. Chaplin hits the perfect balance between humor and substance, helping us to sympathize with those who bore the burdens of the war, without ever becoming too sentimental. Unfortunately Shoulder Arms hit American theaters after the waring countries reached Armistice, so it could not help boost war morale, but it did assist in healing the emotional wounds of returning soldiers. 

In conclusion, Shoulder Arms is a remarkable picture that will continue to be enjoyed centuries from now. The gags are timeless and overall the amplify the folly of going to war. Unfortunately Britain wasn't too happy with Chaplin making this picture in America, when he could have been assisting with his home country, but they eventually forgave him. Praise it! 5/5