Despite winning Chaplin an honory Oscar in 1928 "The Circus" isn't really regarded as one of his great comedies and yet it has got some great visual gags as well as a little less sentimentality than some of his later films. Of course, there's still a girl who needs rescuing, in this case from her tyrannical father, and once again he's The Tramp, bringing as much humanity as slapstick to his routines and confirming his status as one of the greatest of all screen actors and not simply a great comic. The circus setting was, of course, his tribute to clowns everywhere so while this may indeed be minor Chaplin it is nevertheless a deeply affectionate picture and an essential part of the Chaplin canon.
Review of The Circus
