A publicity still for “City Lights”
I’ve also been compiling some content on the theme of “Visual Storytelling” for various talks and workshops throughout the summer and I’ve had the pleasure of looking again at the work of one of the masters of visual storytelling. One of the Bangkok cafes I frequent has a TV screen in one corner. I often go to work in a cafe, it gives me a change of scenery and I seem to be able to work on e-mails and other admin chores more effectively when I’m in a busy environment. However, I digress. In this particular cafe there’s a TV in the corner of the room, which isn’t unusual but what is unusual is that instead of the usual fare of Thai soap operas or Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), they show Charlie Chaplin films on a loop.
You might think that old, grainy, black and white silent movies would have lost their appeal in the age of the 3D Dolby Surround Sound Movie Experience but nothing can beat a good story, well told.
I glanced up from my laptop during one recent trip to the cafe and caught the beginning of Chaplin’s “City Lights” movie on the TV. I had forgotten what a great performer Chaplin was. I mean, seriously, that’s such an understatement, he is mesmerising. He had such a terrific elegance and presence, even when playing the fool in some slapstick scene. “City Lights” is generally considered to be one his best films, indeed, many people think it’s one of the best films ever made. It’s nearly 85 years old now but it held me captivated. It has all the elements of a wonderful visual story. A simple but evocative plot, measured pacing, comedy and pathos, heartfelt acting and that often elusive ingredient: integrity.
I think there’s terrific value in returning to the masters of any art-form that you wish to pursue. If you want to know about light, look at Rembrandt paintings. If you want to learn about visual storytelling, treat yourself to a collection of Chaplin movies.
This is the final scene of “City Lights” where Chaplin, the down-at-heel “Little Tramp”, finally meets the girl he has been searching for. After being tormented by newspaper boys in the street, he turns to see the girl in a flower shop. This is the first time she has seen him. She had been blind when they knew each other before and she had wrongly assumed that the tramp was a wealthy gentleman. Through a series of comical events earlier in the film, the tramp had been able to pay for the blind flower girl to have a sight-restoring operation but then he had been cruelly imprisoned before they could meet again.
It’s no wonder that the film received a standing ovation on its opening night and I was also moved to rise to my feet and applaud after this moving final scene, which bought an awkward silence in the cafe. The film grossed $5 million, which, coincidentally, is about the price of a coffee in this place. Some things change, some things stay the same and a classic will always remain a classic.
So, if you’re interested in the art of visual storytelling, give yourself a treat and watch “City Limits” this week. There’s an HD version on YouTube.