Strictly speaking, Orson Welles was the first person who wanted to put the experience of French wife-killer Henri Desiré Landru on the screen. It was three months after "Citizen Kane" was released, and he was about to invite Chaplin to Landry. At that time, Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" had just achieved great success. He also liked this idea very much, so in June 1941, he bought the story creation idea from Wells. When creating the character, Chaplin combined the British esthetician and murderer Thomas Wynrette and Landry to create a unique Mr. Verdoux.
However, regardless of the fact that the film comes from real people, Mr. Verdoux is a portrayal of Chaplin's chaotic situation at the time. During World War II, he was pursued by the FBI for suggesting that the United States and the Soviet Union cooperate to open up a second front. He was also taken to court. Although he was found not guilty, he was isolated by Hollywood. Chaplin suddenly turned from a national idol to a public enemy of the whole people. Coupled with his marriage to the 18-year-old Una O’Neal at the time, he was regarded as a playboy who lied to little girls.
The difficult political environment took Chaplin seven years to complete "Mr. Verdoux". In order to let go of the performance, he even filmed the ending first. The film criticized the social line at that time, "Killing a person is a badass." "It’s a hero to kill a million", which is also intentional. Chaplin used such an uncharacteristic character to express his dissatisfaction with the American social environment at the time. Because of his left-leaning views, it is a pity that the film failed at the American box office and only recovered $300,000. The $5 million for a "The Great Dictator" is a world of difference. Chaplin specially called for a press conference when he was promoting "Mr. Verdoux", but the reporters focused on his political inclinations and private life, even though Chaplin also wrote a special article "My New Movie" ", but "Mr. Verdoux" is still no one cares about. Later, when McCarthyism was rampant, Chaplin left the United States sadly, and did not return to the United States until the Oscar awarded him a lifetime achievement award in 1972.
"Mr. Verdoux" occupies an important position in Chaplin's acting career, can be compared with "The Great Dictator", and is widely regarded as an advanced and thoughtful comedy masterpiece.
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