![[box cover]](../../reviewimgs/c/citylights.jpg)
City Lights: The Chaplin Collection
This funny, humane love story of the gentleman Tramp
giving his all for the sake of a blind flower girl is one of the Great
Movies and the summit of Mount Chaplin. Its pitch-perfect blend of comedy
and warm-heartedness is perfect simplicity spun into simple perfection. If
the final scene doesn't move you, you aren't fit for decent company. This
Warner release, part of MK2's The Chaplin Collection, presents City
Lights in a pleasing but not jawdropping restoration. The
black-and-white imagery is smooth, well-defined, and displays nicely
balanced grayscale. But the print still bears a few minor hairline scratches
and lacks the gloss of MK2's best restorations. Chaplin's soundtrack,
cleaned and fresh like new, comes in two Dolby Digital remastered options
— the original monaural (DD 2.0) and a new 5.1 remix. Each offers a
track that's full-bodied, clear, and free of hiss or wear. Special features
include a documentary with animator Peter Lord, outtake footage, Georgia
Hale's screen test, Winston Churchill's visit to Chaplin Studios, and home
movies shot in Bali. Dual-DVD trifold case in paperboard sleeve.
—Mark Bourne
