The Kid Film Analysis Essay

The Kid, filmed in 1921, has to be one of the most striking, philosophical, and meaningful of Chaplin’s films. The story goes in depth on parenthood and gives a glimpse on how children are affect by certain “protective” agencies. The film offers a chance for everyone to observe how father/son relationships are built without actual paternity. One thing that is hardly ever discussed is how the film actually looks. For example, it’s full of textures, the kind closely related to the look of pre-plastic. The film is full of backdrops including: worn brick, old wood, grimy clothing, discolored walls, scattered grit and specks of plaster. Full of modest details such as the large bowl used as a pot cover and an old horseshoe nailed to the wall of

This film could easily turn into an overstated, over-romanticized drama but Chaplin doesn’t drop into this section by adding perfect comic relief. Furthermore, laughter still pops on screen mostly when the duo tries one of their “get rich quick” schemes. The story of this film is Chaplin in his most sincere and he really wanted to get into the hearts of the audience. The origin of the kid isn’t recorded but some say it’s slightly based on his first son. On July 7, 1919, Chaplin and his wife Mildred Harris had their first baby, Norman. Unfortunately, the child was born with an intestinal deformity and only lived for three days. Later in life, Mildred commented on Chaplin’s grief: “That’s the only thing I can remember about Charlie…that he cried when the baby died.” In a deeper analytical sense, The Kid is somewhat of a narrative for Chaplin’s life. The miserable details of Chaplin’s childhood are well known. His alcoholic father deserted the family early on, and his mother who was an aspiring singer struggled to feed Charlie and his older brother Sydney. Soon, his mother was affected by a mental illness and the