The Real Charlie Chaplin

Co-directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney, this 2021 documentary tells Chaplin's life largely in his own words. The main source is the audio of a long interview he gave to Life magazine in 1966, never used at this length before. The directors avoid the standard documentary form. Old audio recordings are re-enacted by actors: people seated at a table, with the real voice matched to their mouths. The method is contested but suits the subject, since the question is how Chaplin constructed his own image. The documentary does not skip the political pressure that led to his departure from America or the accusations about his private life. His relationships with young women and the Lita Grey case are addressed openly. Who it's for: those interested in film history and in formal experiment within the biographical documentary. Who it's not for: viewers who want only a celebration of the master of comedy; the film also relays the uncomfortable parts.