Students relive Charlie Chaplin silent films

The name "Charlie Chaplin" can conjure up images of his so-called "Tramp" character, who is light-hearted and fun. Many people have probably seen some of his classic films that made him a star: "The Kid," "Modern Times" and "City Lights," to name a few.\nHowever, audiences at Friday's Charlie Chaplin Festival of Short Films got to see a slightly different side of the iconic actor. The festival was presented by the IU Department of Communication and Culture during its weekly "City Lights" screening. The films, from the Chester Gleim collection, were made in 1916 and 1917, when Chaplin moved to a different studio and made 12 short films. Five were presented at the festival: "The Floorwalker," "The Vagabond," "One A.M.," "The Immigrant" and "The Adventurer," Each short brought an interesting new perspective to an old favorite actor.\nThe films presented in this festival were a little surprising. They were quite hilarious at times, although the humor is a little heavy-handed. But these films were a bit darker than most Chaplin movies. \nFor example, "The Immigrant" tells the story of an immigrant to the United States, played by Chaplin. It begins on the boat to America, and there is a scene in which the immigrants on the ship see the symbolic figure of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. But the next scene shows one of the immigrants being herded around on the boat like cattle. Although the film is mostly silly and fun, there are moments of true human emotions in "The Immigrant," as well as the rest of the films showed at the festival.\nOne of the short films that stood out above the rest as a definite departure from the traditional Chaplin image was "The Vagabond", starring Chaplin, Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell. The film tells the story of an impoverished violinist (Chaplin), who travels to the country and meets a young woman (Purviance), who was captured by gypsies. She is abused and beaten by the chief of the gypsies (Campbell), until the violinist rescues her and, naturally, falls in love with her. She then falls in love with an artist. The film is bittersweet and almost heartbreaking at times -- a difference from most expectations of Chaplin.\nThe festival provided a fabulous opportunity for film enthusiasts to experience a less-often-seen side of a famous film icon. It also gave audiences an opportunity to experience the all-but-lost art of silent movies. It's incredible to watch these silent films. There is obviously no dialogue, so the actors must communicate their message completely through their facial expressions and body language, a talent that is rare in modern cinema. Even though much of the acting is highly overblown, especially for actors that portray villains, it's exciting to watch actors, especially Chaplin, who are full of talent.\nThe Department of Communication and Culture present films at 7 p.m. every Friday in the Radio-TV Center, Room 251. A film schedule for the rest of the semester can be found at www.indiana.edu/~clights/.