Each of Chaplin's films showcased in The Chaplin Collection on DVD has a special feature documentary called Chaplin Today. Each of these half-an-hour shorts has well-known filmmakers discussing a particular film's influence on his career.
Chaplin Today: Monsier Verdoux is not up to Chaplin Today: City Lights, but it is one of the best of the Chaplin Today documentaries. The director chosen to speak is French cineaste Claude Chabrol, and he wildly hails Monsieur Verdoux as Chaplin's chef d'vre. He guides us through the film, and discusses the scenes and shots he finds "most brilliant." He also talks a little of Chaplin's shooting style, and how that influences the final product.
This short does a good job of putting the film in its historical context, giving plenty of nice background information on the film and why it is considered today to be a classic. Anybody who watches Monsieur Verdoux should most definitely check out this short afterwards, but be sure not to watch it before because it will ruin the film's many comic surprises.
Chaplin Today: Monsier Verdoux is not up to Chaplin Today: City Lights, but it is one of the best of the Chaplin Today documentaries. The director chosen to speak is French cineaste Claude Chabrol, and he wildly hails Monsieur Verdoux as Chaplin's chef d'vre. He guides us through the film, and discusses the scenes and shots he finds "most brilliant." He also talks a little of Chaplin's shooting style, and how that influences the final product.
This short does a good job of putting the film in its historical context, giving plenty of nice background information on the film and why it is considered today to be a classic. Anybody who watches Monsieur Verdoux should most definitely check out this short afterwards, but be sure not to watch it before because it will ruin the film's many comic surprises.