"The film is not only an account of the moral slippage of one man but the record of a far larger, seemingly uncontrollable escalation." - Joshua Vasquez

182

Not funny! Much of the humour is annoying as are the ridiculous caricatures, Verdoux is repulsive and you can't even appreciate his flaws due to how over the top everything is, the few attempts to endear him to us come off as far too sentimental, and the rationalisation that justifies Verdoux's actions is just plain dumb. The world is flawed so that means he's allowed to go around killing people - huh? Oh, and "Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind in to indifference." was cringeworthy.

#193

i would have known even if i hadn't seen the idea by Orson Welles in the begining, intelligence story is perfect but i didn't like the rest, it seems as if Chaplin rush to make this film or he didn't like playing this bluebeard, anyway there is really great character who can only be created by Orson Welles

Probably Chaplin's most courageous film, he attempts to carve out a place for humanism in a world that he believes has given itself over to war and death-dealing. He does it through the blackest comedy of his career. While Chaplin beautifully renders numerous lengthy shots, witty dialogue, and the occasional use of physical comedy, that he does all this while also keeping his murderous protagonist likable is quite the achievement.

This was a different Charlie Chaplin movie...very unique concept and very interesting..Two Thumbs up...way up!!

Fantastic film.

Chaplin gets a little heavy-handed, but this is still a very enjoyable dark comedy. The sheer moral ambiguity that dominates the film along with it's stinging, if overdone, social commentary make this a real gem and pleasure to watch. The comedy isn't always great, existing more in the situation and plot development than any of Chaplin's gags, but most if it works and the parts that don't aren't especially distracting. It probably could have stood to be a little shorter though.

I wish every scene was like the moonlight speech.

It's beautifully complex, but I didn't find it entertaining enough. Chaplin uses poetic language and charisma to fight the didactic and support the feeling/psychosis paradox. But the social commentary trumps. Along with the crime genre, Monsieur Verdoux has left with me with a yearning for satiety.

Never mind Chaplin's shocking lack of skill at verbal humor (although there are a few amusing moments of black comedy to be found here). What makes it unbearable is his insufferable need to spew out little profundities all the time, horribly written and delivered with the distinct air of the Very Important Message. "Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference." Please spare me. Not quite as bad as Limelight, but there were several points when I could do nothing but groan.

Chaplin walks the creative tightrope better than anyone before or since. No one else would even have dared to attempt this . . . and only Chaplin can pull it off.

Charlie Chaplin is not funny. Even when he's a murderer

It is said that this was Chaplin's own favorite. It is definitely his most risque, as he plays a calculated black-widower type who marries rich old ladies and kills them. Even the Great Dictator chatacter wasn't this shady. A real gem.

# 176