Criterion Collection: City Lights [Blu-ray]

The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times) is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (a magical Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
– New, restored 4K digital film transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
– New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
– Chaplin Today: City Lights, a 2003 documentary on the film s production, featuring Aardman Animations cofounder Peter Lord
– Chaplin Studios: Creative Freedom by Design, a new interview program featuring visual effects expert Craig Barron
– Archival footage from the production of City Lights, including film from the set, with audio commentary by Chaplin historian Hooman Mehran; a costume test; a rehearsal; and a complete scene not used in the film
– Excerpt from Chaplin s short film The Champion (1915), along with footage of the director with boxing stars at Chaplin Studios in 1918
– Trailers
– PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins and a 1966 interview with Chaplin