Charlie Chaplin: The Mutual Films Collection (Limited Edition Blu-ray box set) [1916]

BELLISSIMO COFANETTO,PURTROPPO IN INGLESE MA LE COMICHE SONO MUTE LA MUSICA AUDIO PERFETTO TUTTO RESTAURATO,PRODOTTO DA COLLEZIONE CHE PUO' DIVENTARE INTROVABILE NEL TEMPO-GRANDISSIMO CHAPLIN- SPED.ARRIVATA IN ANTICIPO-ECCELLENTE SERVIZIO-GRAZIE

this is for the bluray-region 2 collection. it worked great and the prints are great. a must have for chaplin fans. thank you

Charles Chaplin in his later years referred to his period at the Mutual Film Corporation in 1916-1917 as his "happiest years." After a meteoric rise to stardom at Keystone and Essanay with the creation and evolution of The Tramp character, Chaplin signed with Mutual for an unprecedented $670,000 to make 12 two-reel comedy films – making him then the highest-paid entertainer in the world. Since Chaplin never attained the copyright to the Mutual films, through the years they would eventually fall into other hands where numerous copies and projection runs would eventually, and sadly, strain the condition of each individual film piece. Finally, in 2011, Association Chaplin in conjunction with Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna and Lobster Films, scouted the world’s archives, including the Library of Congress, in search of the Mutual films and, happily, have now painstakingly restored them to as near-exquisite quality as humanly possible. This British Film Institute (BFI) release of the Mutual films is a must for any fan Chaplin. Critics have widely regarded the Mutual period are amongst Chaplin’s funniest films for their non-stop outrageously hilarious and subversive forms on conventional society that were the traditional hallmarks for slapstick comedy. Chaplin though by this time having the full authority of the medium was also able to deploy dramatic pathos as he wished – such as in ‘The Vagabond’ (1916) and ‘The Immigrant’ (1917) – which leaves these films also with a timeless and universal status. Having initially bought the original Flicker Alley release, after watching the BFI version it is clearly a step-notch higher in terms of overall restoration quality. This is not to say that the Flicker Alley version is without merit; that one contains two excellent documentaries ‘The Birth of the Tramp’ and ‘Chaplin’s Goliath’ (about Chaplin’s ‘heavy’ co-star Eric Campbell), as well as an extensive essay booklet by notable Chaplin historian Jeffrey Vance. Furthermore, what sets this BFI release superiorly apart is that each film has extended audio commentary by various film academics and Chaplin aficionados that are as equally entertaining as well as insightful. And, the music is scored by the illustrious composer Carl Davis – whose musical insight here provides a close rendition of what Chaplin himself would have originally wanted. Funnily enough, as much as I love the work of Carl Davis, I ended up preferring the musical scores by Timothy Brock for specifically ‘The Immigrant’ (1917) and the Van Beuren exhilarating piece for ‘The Pawnshop’ (1917), which is another bonus as the scores on the Flicker Alley release are also available here as alternative offerings. One thing that would have been extra nice if the BFI had released here a handful of the Mutual outtakes – that were ultimately saved by the late Raymond Rohauer – from their archives, for viewing as special features. Hopefully, one day the BFI will be able to release (at least some of them, as there are literally hundreds of hours worth), so we will be able to see more of these hidden gems by this supreme comedic genius from his heyday.

I already had the BFI DVDs so was hesitant before buying this new set of the same films. So glad I did, the picture is now the complete screen as originally projected 100 years ago and the facial expressions and incidental details are so much clearer. Another great improvement lies in the restoration of the original inter titles and of their proper pacing. Just one example: in The Floorwalker the previous DVD skipped the frames showing us the contents of the note received by store manager Eric Campbell upon his first appearance. We only saw it being crumpled in his hand and his extravagant reaction. Now we can read it clearly and thus know that the owners are instructing him that they are sending in the 2 detectives to investigate the disappearance of $80,000 - the money contained in the bag which spends the rest of the movie touring the store. The commentaries are fascinating and the choice of soundtracks adds new dimensions to each film. The only disappointment is that it does not include the documentary "Chaplin's Goliath" about Campbell, which is included on the equivalent USA set. Not docking a star for that, though. Don't hesitate, if you love Chaplin, this is essential.

Magnifique restauration