Although it didn’t get the same amount of acclaim as “City Lights” or “The Great Dictator” there is something about “The Circus” that shows the pure comic genius of Charlie Chaplin. It was filmed when he was going through a divorce in 1928 and that caused so many bad memories that he didn’t even mention the movie in his autobiography.

The storyline features Chaplin playing a tramp who is wrongly accused of stealing and chased by a policeman. During the chase he runs into a big tent circus and the audience think it is part of the show and love his comedy. He meets the ringmaster’s daughter and falls in love with her but a rival appears in a newcomer to the circus. He happens to be a tightrope walker and Chaplin tries to impress her by performing the tightrope routine himself. This leads to one of the funniest moments in the movie.

The amazing thing about that stunt is he actually taught himself how to walk the tightrope and no stuntmen were used at all. So when he is joined on the tightrope by monkeys it leads to an unforgettable scene of comedy genius.

Set in a circus, it is the perfect surroundings for Chaplin to show all of his skills. In one scene he is locked in a cage with a sleeping lion but uses a twist that will surprise you. There are some great scenes such as the fun house at the beginning of the movie where Chaplin, the policeman and the real pickpocket are trapped. The hall of mirrors is particularly funny as Chaplin is trying to pick up his hat.

This 2 disc special edition shows you one of Chaplin’s funniest movies that didn’t get the acclaim it truly deserved.