`The Tramp' is significant for establishing Chaplin's working-class character in the popular consciousness, but it lacks the ingenuity and surprise of Chaplin's later films. The tramp's trademark appearance and mannerisms became universally beloved, but they are not what made Chaplin great. His genius is in his vision of how to use filmmaking techniques to confound and endear his audience. Here, the closest he comes is when he devises umpteen ways to tell a joke using a pitchfork. Many of them just aren't that funny.
Rating: 5.5
Rating: 5.5