Sunday, January 08, 2017

Monsieur Verdoux

Monsieur Verdoux is a 1947 dark comedy film about a man (played by Charlie Chaplin) who makes a living marrying wealthy widows and killing them for their money to support his own wife and child. It's told in an extended flashback by the killer. Martha Raye, William Frawley, and Marilyn Nash also star. This was well worth watching. I liked everything about it.



Bright Lights Film Journal has a lengthy plot description and this: "The premiere of Monsieur Verdoux was naturally awaited with a great deal of anticipation. When Monsieur Verdoux was released, not everyone hated it." Slant Magazine gives it 4 and a half out of 5 stars and concludes, "Monsieur Verdoux is Chaplin's masterpiece, a lark both charming and subtly complex." The New Yorker has a positive review.

DVD Talk says, "it plays as a grim social horror movie". Rotten Tomatoes has a 97% critics score.

2 comments:

  1. What a strange movie with an even stranger main character. Unique. Macabre humor with an underlying hopelessness. Disturbing.

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    1. Dark humor is special ;) I think of Charlie Chaplin as being like he was when he was young. I'm always impressed by his later roles.

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