Free Movie Review Example on Shoulder Arms 1918
Shortest Charlie Chaplin’s Movie
Shoulder Arms is a well known silent comedy released in 1918. This shortest Charlie Chaplin’s movie is set in a book camp in France. The main character is an awkward squad who misses his family as he does not get any messages from home. One day he finally gets a package with limburger cheese with such a strong smell that he throws it to a German trench with disgust. It is a start of his great deeds. He takes this occasion to capture more than a dozen of Germans and after that gets disguised as a tree trunk to cross the German lines. He becomes a hero when he captures the Crown Prince and the Kaiser. However, it is only a dream and the soldiers wake him up to see the same reality.
Funny Things in an Unfunny Environment
It is an interesting idea to find the funny things in an absolutely unfunny environment. It really works for me as it does not make war less scary but just helps to lift the spirit and show that one should never lose heart and can be sentimental even at war time. I was not greatly impressed with the first part which simply describes daily routines of soldiers. Nevertheless, the way Charlie is experiencing loneliness and despair is amazing. Nobody performs homesickness and forlorn as he does.
My Favorite Episode
Some scenes are naïve and childish, like the tree disguise. However, the scenes of spanking the commander or Chaplin’s trademark waddle even while marching are really amusing. My favorite episode is Charlie’s explanation of the way he captured the soldiers. He tells that he has surrounded them and this always makes me laugh.
Summary
To sum up, Charlie Chaplin uses a balanced and smart approach to show the absurdity of war and amuse the viewers. He manages to combine realistic depiction of the events, sentimental scenes and humor in such a way that the movie gets historical significance and appeals to everybody.