Monsieur Verdoux - Part 01

The story is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine. The film ends as Verdoux is being led to the guillotine in the prison courtyard after dismissing his killing of a few as no worse than the highly-praised killing of large numbers in war. The script for this film, the idea for it given by Orson Welles, was inspired by the case of serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. Welles sought to direct the film with Chaplin as star, but Chaplin backed out at the last minute, on the grounds that he'd never been directed in a full length film before and wasn't willing to start. Instead, Chaplin bought the script from Welles and rewrote parts of it, crediting Welles only with the idea. The lead character kills to make money, hence he is not (in his eyes) a murderer.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• serial killer
• Henri Désiré Landru
• Monsieur Verdoux
• wealthy windows
• crime spree
• paris
• numbers sanctify

[yolo22]

i think this is my favorite charlie chaplin film. i love martha raye's performance! hilarious!

[eaglesonofwill]

This movie is a masterpiece. It is the first truly black comedy. Fantastic post. Thank you!

[ladyelicharlot]

Such a wonderful commentary on capitalism and war!!! Even the "good" girl, Marilyn Nash, only escapes poverty by becoming a war profiteer (her man is a munitions manufacturer /tools of mass murder)...hmmmm exactly like the u.s. military based economy of today!!!! The u.s. govn. would not allow dear Charlie to continue telling the american people THE TRUTH! 5 years after Verdoux, they shamefully expelled beloved Charlie from american soil forever.

Viva Charlot AND his message of peace!

[doctornoooo]

the real crime is how Chaplin hornswoggled Welles: the opening is standard, and stupid but it gets much much better: notice how Chaplin uses his hands

in this like big bees flitting about. Only Lancaster used his hands better, and of course much more obviously. No other actors ever came close to either in that respect. Many monets his hands in this do the talking more than he, such are the lessons of one of the great silent comedians who HAD to employ them for about a third of his effects.

[73egp]

i can rewatch many times, get nuggets of gold each time

[73egp]

My all time favorite. His trial & speech as he approaches the guioteen. magnificent.

[gothichyppie]

@Jitpring I know, when a silent film can make you cry like that, you know you've got something great! City Lights is my favorite silent feature of his.

[Jitpring]

@gothichyppie I just watched City Lights for the first time. Devastating ending. Tears flowing....

[gothichyppie]

@Jitpring I think that I'm missing like 5 shorts of his and I love everything he's done! Limelight is superb, I cry like a baby everytime!

[Jitpring]

@gothichyppie Do you also like Limelight? Wonderful!

[gothichyppie]

Amongst Chaplin's talkies, I find this one as marvelous as The Great Dictator. Plus this one proves that he was also great at VERBAL comedy, about everything Verdoux says has a double meaning, it's brilliant!