"The Circus" is a work that Chaplin tried to transform, from a street bum to a small person with a specific profession. Although the circus show and Chaplin’s signature performance in the film are still the primary magic weapon to attract the audience, overall, the breakthrough of "The Circus" is not significant, especially the love routine of little man + beauty. It caused a little aesthetic fatigue to the audience at that time. In addition, "The Circus" is Chaplin's hardest film ever. During the filming process, a fire in the studio caused serious losses, causing Chaplin's mental breakdown and the crew to stop work. By the time work starts again in New York, it will be a few months later-if in the past, this free time would be enough for Chaplin to make three movies.
After the film was released, the response was mediocre, and what made Chaplin even more depressed was the film’s "encounter" at the Academy Award. That year, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded the first Academy Award, Chaplin This film could have been shortlisted for the best actor, but because the founders of the Academy Awards-Chaplin's friend Mary Pickford and Douglas Van Punk Jr., felt that the performance award was not enough to show respect to Chaplin. He was awarded the painless "Special Honor Award", which made Chaplin survived until 13 years later in "The Great Dictator " before he was nominated as an Oscar actor.
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