THE ANIMATIONS OF LOTTE REINIGER
OK so I’m cheating… I’ve just bundled an entire director’s work into one of my selected movies. A decade before Disney, there was a female animator in Germany making exquisite fairy tale films with her hand cut shadow puppets that still inspire cinematic blockbusters today (I’m looking at you Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). I’ve included a link to the 10 minute short of The Sleeping Beauty from 1954, hopefully this serves as a gateway to an afternoon well spent spiralling through a YouTube hole of Lotte Reiniger’s enchanting films.
THE GOLD RUSH
Lame title pun warning…but this film is GOLD! (Yeah, I know, sorry). We couldn’t have Buster without his British counterpart Charlie. Mr Chaplin proves his theory that tragedy and comedy are never far apart. This masterclass in physical comedy is an emotional ride, and without angering the City Lights fans out there, I would go as far as to say it’s Charlie Chaplin’s best work. Although if you fancied a Little Tramp double bill, why not watch both.