MOVIE REVIEW: THE KID (1921)

Ever since exploring films of the silent era in college, I have been captivated by them. Films like this were made by pioneers, innovators, and risk-takers who laid the foundation upon which the film industry stands. Using his well-known Tramp character, this was Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length film. Even then, The Kid comes in at a crisp 68 minutes. Even if you are not into silent films, this shorter feature is worth it to see Chaplin’s use of technique and the way he plays the emotions.

An unwed mother makes the painful decision to abandon her newborn son. She places him in the back of a fancy car, hoping that the owners will be able to provide for the child. Unbeknownst to her, thieves steal the car, discover the baby and discard it in an alley, where Chaplin’s Tramp character finds it. Struck by the note left with the child, the Tramp takes in the infant. Five years later, the Tramp and his adopted apprentice son soldier on as street hustlers. Through their misadventures, they get on the wrong side of the neighborhood and eventually the law. At the same time, the Kid’s mother finally has the means to try to track him down.

While Chaplin’s early work with the Tramp character was largely for slapstick humor, The Kid contains a lot of sentimentality and drama. The Tramp’s misadventures with child-rearing bring the humor, but their relationship with each other is sincere and heartwarming. While you might expect melodrama when the story turns serious, with the orphan asylum threatening to separate the Tramp and the Kid, that is not the case at all. Chaplin dials back the overacting to set a tone that touches and troubles you. Irresponsible as the Tramp may be, it is clear that he loves the Kid, so his frustration, sadness, and determination really hits home.

Then-child actor Jackie Coogan (who later played Uncle Fester in the original Addams Family show) is brilliant as the Kid. At just five years old, his vaudeville background helps him light up the screen. His facial expressions, timing, and delivery make him a true equal with any adult actor his finds himself on screen with. His performance is critical to the success of the movie. The vast majority of child actors would have paled in comparison.

To top it all off, this 100+ year-old film doesn’t just feature a bunch of static shots of talking heads. That is a misnomer of what the silent era (and the 1920s especially) brings to the table. Chaplin is creative with his choice of edits, close-ups, and transitions. Rather than a crude and rudimentary art form, Chaplin shows the untapped potential of cinema, all in just over an hour. The Kid is a great film and a harbinger of the great things to come in the film industry. I don’t know what level of picture quality that streaming services provide, but I recommend watching this one if you can find it streaming somewhere or if your local library system has a copy on DVD. Films like this should not be forgotten.

FINAL RATING: 4 out of 5