The circus

Directed by Charlie Chaplin, USA 1928, 69 min

Charlie Chaplin’s “Tramp” – his most famous character and at the same time the most influential figure of silent cinema – is in trouble as usual: he is broke. Because he is mistaken for a pickpocket, he gets caught in the middle of a circus ring while fleeing from a policeman. His involuntary performance delights the audience, and he is hired as a clown. When he meets the circus director’s stepdaughter, he falls madly in love….

The film’s classic highlights include a madcap sequence on the ghost train, the chaos created by a parody of a magic trick, and Chaplin’s breakneck trip on the tightrope, with monkeys on his head.

A comedy without a net or a double bottom!