Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Limelight Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 22, 2015

Charlie Chaplin's "Limelight" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an introduction to the film by David Robinson; "Chaplin Today: "Limelight", archival video program produced by Edgardo Cozarinsky for MK2; deleted scene; Charlie Chaplin's unfinished short comedy "The Professor" (1919); and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"My only enemy is time"

Charlie Chaplin’s final American film, Limelight, is unquestionably his most personal one. It is a poignant, bittersweet farewell inspired by the screen legend’s only novel, Footlights.

Chaplin is Calvero, an aging clown with a serious drinking problem who lives alone in a tiny apartment somewhere in London's East End. After spending time with friends in a local pub, Calvero returns home and discovers that his neighbor, Thereza (Claire Bloom), a beautiful but lonely ballerina, has attempted to commit suicide. Calvero takes Thereza to his place where she recovers despite the protests of the landlady, who gives her room to someone else because she has been late with the rent.

With Calvero’s encouragement, Thereza also regains her ability to move her legs and eventually begins dancing again. Then she wins an important audition and suddenly becomes the star she always aspired to be.

Meanwhile, Calvero is given a few opportunities to prove that he can still dazzle the crowds, but is unceremoniously rejected and forced to perform small gigs under a different name. Convinced that his best days are behind him, he begins drinking again to numb the pain.

Realizing that the man who saved her life is slowly drifting away from her, Thereza attempts to rebuild Calvero’s confidence. She also begs Calvero to marry her and begin a new life with her far away from the bright lights of the city. Much to her surprise, however, the sad clown encourages her to follow her heart and reunite with the young man (Sydney Chaplin, Chaplin's son) she secretly fell in love with years ago.

There are a few splashes of humor in Limelight, but at its core this is a painfully honest film about the passage of time and the cruel manner in which it alters people’s lives. In many ways it feels like a giant confession that casually sums up the fears of an aging artist who has to accept the fact that his best days are behind him.

Chaplin directed Limelight in 1952, at a time when he was reevaluating his life in a way Calvero does in the film. There is a sense of melancholy that permeates it and a whiff of annoyance that after all time treats everyone equally. There comes a point when success, fame and fortune become irrelevant, and one looks back hoping to rediscover the simple joys that made one’s life worth living.Limelight is precisely about the arrival of this moment and Calvero/Chaplin trying to deal with it.

The performances are excellent. Chaplin looks appropriately heavier and his facial expressions effectively reveal that the aging clown is a vulnerable man who is hurting on the inside. (See the great scene where he slowly removes his makeup and looks straight into the camera). Bloom looks strikingly elegant and energetic, exactly like an inspired young woman who has everything to live for. Chaplin’s son is likeable as the poor but ambitious composer. There is a memorable cameo by the great Buster Keaton, who appears in a wonderful duet with Chaplin.

Twenty years after its world premiere, Limelight won Oscar Award for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score (Charles Chaplin, Ray Rasch, Larry Russell). The film did not open in Los Angeles until 1972 because its creator’s liberal views had compromised his image in Hollywood and Washington D.C.

Chaplin was also awarded an Honorary Oscar for his contributions to film as an art.

Limelight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charlie Chaplin's Limelight arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye.

The master that was used to produce this release isn't identical to the one Criterion worked with for the U.S. release of the film. (Criterion worked with the Cineteca di Bologna and did a brand new 4K restoration of the film). Generally speaking, detail and clarity are quite pleasing. In fact, there are a number of close-ups that boast very good depth. Grain is also visible throughout the entire film, but it isn't quite as well distributed and resolved as it is on the Criterion release. More importantly, brightness levels appear slightly elevated and in select sequences some extremely light chroma-like effects try to sneak in (see screencaptures #7 and 8). Some density fluctuations are present, but they are inherited (see screencapture #17). There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Finally, there are no large cuts, damage marks, or torn frames to report in our review. All in all, clearly there is some room for improvement, but this is still a pretty good presentation of the film. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Limelight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 (dual mono) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the mono track and liked it a lot. Stability and balance are excellent. Predictably, dynamic intensity is modest, but all of the perceived limitations are in fact part of the film's original sound design. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.

Limelight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Chaplin Today: "Limelight" - this archival video program produced by Edgardo Cozarinsky for MK2 in 2002 takes a closer look at the production history of Charlie Chaplin's Limelight and his controversial image in America at the time when the film was shot. Included in it are clips from interviews with Sidney Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin's son, Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris), and Claire Bloom. In English, Italian, and French, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (27 min).

• Home Movies - Charlie Chaplin returns to the scenes of his childhood, London, 1959. Color. Without sound. (17 min).

• Introduction by David Robinson - Charlie Chaplin biographer David Robinson introduces Limelight. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• The Professor - in The Professor, an unfinished short comedy begun in 1919, Charlie Chaplin plays Professor Bosco, the proprietor of a flea circus. Thirty-three years later he returned to the gag for Limelight. Silent. (7 min).

• Deleted Scene - presented here is a scene that appeared in Limelight when the film premiered in London in 1962, but was consequently removed by Charlie Chaplin before the film was distributed worldwide. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Footlights - presented here are two short extracts from Footlights, the novel written by Charlie Chaplin as a basis for Limelight. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailers - two original trailers Limelight. In English and Italian, with optional English subtitles for the Italian trailer. (5 min).

• Extracts from the Films in The Charlie Chaplin Collection - (11 min).

Limelight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charlie Chaplin's final American film, Limelight, is also his most personal one. It tells the story of an aging clown who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his best days are behind him. This upcoming Blu-ray release of the film from British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye is a good alternative for folks that could not take advantage of Criterion's Region-A release. RECOMMENDED.