Movie: Tomorrow the birds will sing

In recent years I have found that dialogue has been an important feature of my favourite comedies. The best movies being those that leave you with hilarious lines that you and your friends quote for months. Some of my favourite movies, from people like Judd Apatow or even Woody Allen, are based around situations and rely heavily on smart, well timed jokes and references. These are the kind of movies that have caused me to laugh out loud more than anything in recent years. So, you could imagine my surprise when I nearly peed myself laughing watching Charlie Chaplin's 1931 silent film, City Lights.

The movie, while being absolutely hilarious, actually has a very touching love story that is played out better than most romantic comedies today. The movie stars Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp, a polite and classy, bowler hat wearing homeless man who wants nothing more than to fall in love. The story starts off with the tramp waking up in the arms of a giant marble statue which is about to be unveiled to an audience of dignitaries. After the rude and hilarious awakening, The Tramp makes his way down to a dock, where a drunk rich looking man in a suit is standing with a rope and a rock. Convinced that the man is going to try to kill himself The Tramp, being the optimist that he is, goes down to try to talk him out of it. He says to the man "Tomorrow the birds will sing" and attempts to take the rope/rock from the man. This is followed by 5 minutes of hilarious slapstick that finishes with the two of them soaking wet. Thinking the Tramp is his new best friend, he brings him back to his house for a drink.

A recurring gag of the movie is that when the rich man is drunk, he thinks that The Tramp is his best friend (he takes him to clubs, buys him drinks, and even lets him drive his car), but when he is sober he treats him like a stranger. The next day The Tramp falls in love with a blind girl who is selling flowers on the street corner. In order to impress her, The Tramp decides to use the riches of his new drunken friend to impress the girl.

Hilarity ensues as he tries to keep the charade alive, going so far as to enter a boxing match to help pay the woman's overdue rent, which he promised to do with his "millions". The boxing scene is without a doubt, one of the funniest scenes in any movie I have ever scene. The entire scene is brilliantly choreographed, and the acting is hilarious. I've posted it below, if you would like to check it out.

I won't ruin the story any further, but I will say that in an act of selflessness, The Tramp gets her the money, but also gets sent to jail. Upon his release The Tramp is convinced that the girl is gone forever, until they are reunited in one of the most oddly emotional/heart melting scenes ever.

I can't wait to watch another Charlie Chaplin movie. The in-your-face slapstick is so easy to enjoy that you don't even care or notice that there is no dialogue. The occasional onscreen title board is more than enough to fill in the key plot points. That being said, he has made movies with dialogue, and I've read nothing but great things about them too. I'll have to watch one and let you know.

I'd recommend everyone watch this if they ever get the chance, not just because it's hilarious, but I think it'll give you greater respect for comedy and why we enjoy it so much.

Cheers,

Patrick