A Burlesque on Carmen (1915)

Memorable, crazy movie

A Masterpiece!

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Although it is hard to follow the story of Carmen opera in this spoof (it is quite confusing), that is a very funny short from genius Charles Chaplin. Charlie does not play his tramp here, but a military called Darn Hosiery, a tramp-like version of Don José. There are numerous hilarious situations, making the fans not to miss the little tramp. Chaplin's slapstick is brilliant as usual. Just imagine comedian like Chaplin with military costumes, weapons, and making their gestures... It is as if the comedian were in an amusing park! The fencing (judo?!) scene is excellent! Intertitles make as laugh a lot too. Edna Purviance had one of her best performances in my opinion, as Carmen. Great end!

If you look at the whole career of that madcap genius Cecil B. DeMille, his style and preoccupations changed considerably over time, but one thing was evident from day one – his unshakeable pomposity and over-confidence. That is why he was always a ripe target for satire. Getting an early shot in on the heels one of DeMille's earliest successes was Charlie Chaplin, with his farcical yet precisely aimed Burlesque on Carmen.These were the days when people would go to see a popular picture many times over. Chaplin too has clearly studied the original, and played upon the familiarity it would have had with audiences of the time. He has mimicked the sets, set-ups and even copied many of the titles verbatim. He even bases gags around very minor aspects of the DeMille film such as the soldiers and smugglers pushing at the door. All this provides a rich environment for Chaplin to tweak into hilariously disrespectful mayhem.This doesn't appear to be an especially popular or well-known short, perhaps because without the genuine little tramp and modern setting it is not considered kosher Charlie. Personally I feel it is one his best Essanay pictures, for a number of reasons. Virtually the whole of Chaplin's act was satirical on some level, whether he was lampooning the upper class, social norms or modern fads, and generally the bigger the target the bigger the laughs. And simply because of its period trappings it allows him to do funny business with props and situations he would never normally get hold of, such as the numerous gags involving his sword. With his semi-faithful recreation of a contemporary drama, you get to see the considerable straight acting talents of Chaplin and his leading lady Edna Purviance, in a role unlike any other she played, but one she is very suited to. You also have John Rand being very funny in his own right, and Leo White getting the lengthiest and most creative pummelling he ever received from Charlie. Burlesque on Carmen is a unique standout in Chaplin's career, but also great fun to watch.All of which brings us to the all-important statistic – Number of kicks up the arse: 0 (although it does contain practically everything else)

Chaplin directed and starred in this parody of Cecil B. DeMille's Carmen, which was released only two months before this film. Chaplin plays Don Jose as Darn Hosiery in full period military regalia. It's one of his few films that we don't see any indication of his tramp costume. Edna Purviance, of course, plays Carmen, the tantalizing temptress and cigarette factory girl. The film, while containing some brief bits of slapstick, for the most part follows a more subtle comedic approach. It mirrors the actual story of Carmen quite well. Chaplin plays the dramatic, sympathetic, and jealous parts of Don Jose surprisingly well considering his limited dramatic experience in films at the time. The film packs a lot of story and action in its time frame, despite the often lengthy production time the story usually requires. There are several fun Chaplain-like moments that arrive like lost friends when we least expect them. The closing moment in the film juxtaposed with the familiar death scene of Carmen is pure Chaplain. It's an ambitious departure from most of his earlier work. **1/2 of 4 stars.

I must admit, I don't find Charlie Chaplin as funny as Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy and The Little Rascals. What says more to me about Chaplin is his pathos rather than comedy. His genius was in his pathos, depicting the grim reality of working class Victorian and Edwardian life. His comedy was merely a vehicle to communicate his pathos. Therefore, I did not find this funny, but I struck a chord with his pathos.