The silent era of film is one that many actively try to avoid. These films are often seen as simplistic in plot and characterisation, and too heavily reliant on physical comedy. With this in mind, I chose The Kid as our Decade Defining Film of the 1920’s because it demonstrates how these features are not necessarily uninviting.

 

The Kid’s premise is plain and familiar to the audience: a poor single mother abandons her baby in the back of an expensive car and through a series of mishaps, he ends up in the hands of Charlie Chaplin’s character. The film then flashes forward five years, and we witness the pair’s mischievous antics in small-town America.

 

One of the most iconic figures in cinematic history, Charlie Chaplin does not disappoint in his first feature. His persona, the affectionately named Tramp, is let loose in full force, relying on a blend of dramatic body language, subtle facial expressions and Chaplin’s natural charm. Conveying emotion in the absence of dialogue is ostensibly difficult to master in film, yet The Kid, through its focus on the heart-warming relationship between orphaned boy and man, manages to achieve this.
The Kid proves that the era of silent film is one that cannot be disregarded. Between moments of true hilarity (mostly accredited to the bumbling Chaplin), there are quiet moments of poignancy that sit heavy in the back of the audience’s mind even after the credits begin to roll. The Kid is this month’s Decade Defining Film because it showcases the unique ability of the silent film to blend comedy and drama, happiness and sadness, without a word being uttered.