Lichter der Großstadt

Charlie Chaplin once again demonstrates his incredible inventiveness when it comes to the structure and continuity of individual scenes. Moreover, he proves to us that even in comedy, there is also a plot, and he has created quite interesting characters, apart from his classic Tramp, of course. The eccentric millionaire is excellent, and the blind flower girl is beautifully touching. Once again, a film that works in every moment. (22.07.2014)

Es ist interessant, dass mich Chaplin in kurzen Filmen manchmal langweilt und einige von seinen Gags in die Länge gezogen sind. In Spielfilmen ist dies aber (zum Glück) nicht der Fall ist. Lichter der Großstadt streicheln die Seele des Publikums und bringen es außerdem noch zum Lachen – der Boxwettkampf ist viel besser als in The Champion (1915) und die Partys, die erst in den Morgenstunden enden, sind perfekt… Und dazu die schöne Romantik und das Ende, welches nicht melancholisch bitter ist, sondern irgendwie warm und voller Hoffnung. (06.01.2019)

Chaplin is as resilient as he can be. His appetite for a brawl at a party or a boxing performance in the ring takes your breath away. Additionally, I must admire him for his sensitive romantic storyline with beautifully crafted ending. A gem from the magical era of cinematography. (08.07.2007)

I'm not going to write about what a genius Chaplin is, because we all know that already. And yet, I was again struck by how perfect this film is, how brilliantly it brings the two storylines together and how it manages to both royally entertain and move with a beautiful romantic plot. Charlie's boxing match remains one of the funniest scenes to this day, while the ending could easily aspire to the title of the most touching in cinema. One of the greatest gems of the golden era of silent movies. 100% (27.04.2013)

I'll admit at the outset that I liked the rather similar The Circus a bit more, but I certainly don't want to detract from the beauty and brilliance of City Lights. In the end, it's not quite as comic as its predecessor, but the "drunken restaurant scene" or the "whistle scene" really had me laughing my ass off. Alongside the humorous peripeties, there is a parallel serious line that more or less revolves around a blind florist and the Tramp's relationship with her. And when it all turned out the way it did, I felt really sorry for the Tramp. In short, a high quality (and still silent) Chaplin film that could be faulted, but is ultimately a decent spectacle. (17.10.2011)