Anybody see "The King of NY" last nite on TCM?

I'm a HUGH Chaplin fan.

I consider him one of the greatest artists off all time.

A KING IN NEW YORK is definitely flawed, and some of Chaplin's endorsements of nuclear power have proved to be naive in retrospect, but his critique of American consumer culture, American political abuse of power are spot on.

Chaplin's politics seeped into much of his work. MODERN TIMES is frightening in it's assessment of how Capitalism de-humanizes workers, turns people against each other as they battle over crumbs to survive, and benefits the owners to the degree where they hold power of the population like a unquestioned Monarch.

THE GREAT DICTATOR critiques Hitler and Mussolini BEFORE it was commonly acknowledged that these men were monsters.

And if you've never seen it, CITY LIGHTS is one of the greatest films ever made. Not overtly political, but a piece of film poetry that touches on the deepest beauties of humanity.

Oh... and... all the above films are hilariously funny too!

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Updated On: 8/3/11 at 08:45 AM