Circus, The (DVD)

In the last film he made during the silent era, Charlie Chaplin revels in the art of the circus, paying tribute to the acrobats and pantomimists who inspired his virtuoso pratfalls. After being mistaken for a pickpocket, Chaplins Little Tramp flees into the ring of a traveling circus and soon becomes the star of the show, falling for the troupes bareback rider along the way. Despite its famously troubled production, this gag-packed comedy ranks among Chaplins finest, thanks to some of the most audacious set pieces of the director-performers career, including a close brush with a lion and a climactic tightrope walk with a barrelful of monkeys. Rereleased in 1969 with a new score by Chaplin, The Circus is an uproarious high-wire act that showcases silent cinemas most popular entertainer at the peak of his comic powers.