The Immigrant (1917)

The Immigrant Review

The Immigrant is a 1917 romantic comedy short film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. I found this film to be a very good, charming flick.

I really liked the plot here as well as the setting. The film is entertaining and immensely charming from beginning to end. The ending is one of the highlights as it is so romantic and wonderful. And the memorable restaurant scene is of course the best as it is so funny while also being perfectly executed. I loved the characters as well and the performances from both Chaplin and Purviance are great.

The only problem here is that it takes its time to get there owing to a slow start. The entire first half is too slow, uneventful and just a set-up that drags too much in my opinion. It was important to set up its characters and story, but it still could have been done for a much shorter time. But everything that came afterwards is terrific with great comedic scenarios and excellent humor. I laughed a lot a couple of times. The score in the version I watched is really good and the film is well shot and flows well despite its prolonged first act. It could have been even better, but The Immigrant is so endearing and well made that it is impossible not to like it.

The Immigrant has such a charming tone to it while also having a great humor and some very memorable, perfectly executed sequences.

My Rating – 4.3