My journey through Roger Ebert’s compilation of The Great Movies has exposed me to a lot of films I might not have otherwise seen, but we haven’t hit a silent comedy yet. We’ve seen silents (Battleship Potemkin, Broken Blossoms) and comedies (All About Eve, The Apartment), but the two have yet to meet. That’s kind of funny if you think about it, because I’m sure when most people think of silent film these days they think of the comedies. And rightly so. I’m not a total rookie when it comes to this genre, but I’ve never seen City Lights. Of the three big stars of the era – Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd – Chaplin is my least favorite. But it’s like picking a least favorite child: almost impossible (though my parents never had that difficulty). And for good reason; City Lights is a great showcase for the filmmaker.
Steven Cohen's 365 Days of Reviews 