[box cover]

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

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