Charlie Chaplin is undoubtedly a cultural icon. His timeless performances as "The Tramp" won the hearts of millions and embedded his image in the international consciousness. When Chaplin moved from silent films to "talkies," he retired his tramp character. In the dark comedy Monsieur Verdoux (1947), he reinvented himself completely, shedding the baggy pants and bowler hat once and for all. It appears, after witnessing two world wars and the Great Depression, he needed a new approach to address the human condition.
Chaplin plays Monsieur Verdoux’s title character, Henri Verdoux, a laid-off bank clerk turned serial killer who marries a number of wealthy women only to murder and rob them. In his marriages, Henri takes on various personas – an engineer, a furniture collector, a sea captain and so on. The longwinded lies he tells his wives evoke amusement and disgust, but Henri has no shame, for he believes the world is ruthless and "one must be ruthless to cope with it."
To him, deceit, murder and theft are a legitimate line of work, and he fares well as a career criminal for quite some time, stealing the fortunes of some 14 women before getting busted, but behind his crimes lies some semblance of morality. Henri uses the money he makes to provide for his true family – an invalid wife and child who would otherwise suffer economic hardship.
As Monsieur Verdoux moves along, it becomes clear Henri symbolizes the state of modern society. A once honest man, Henri has become cunning and coldhearted in order to subsist in a harsh reality. "As for being a mass killer," he says while on trial, "does not the world encourage it? Is it not building weapons of destruction for the sole purpose of mass killing?" Through Henri’s proclamation, Chaplin implores viewers to consider the human cost of war, economic upheaval and the capitalist system.
Yet even with these somber themes, Chaplin chose to make Monsieur Verdoux comical. The funniest moments are between Henri and one of his wives, Annabella, a dimwitted woman with lots of luck oh her side. Played brilliantly by Martha Raye, Annabella always manages to inadvertently thwart Henri’s diabolical plots.
Adding to the laughs is an array of slapstick antics, which are funny but problematic. Henri is a sophisticated character, and his suave demeanor doesn’t work well with Chaplin’s usual brand slapstick humor, making much of the comedy in Monsieur Verdoux seem misplaced.
In fact, Chaplin fails overall to effectively blend comedic elements with the film’s deeper message. His sociopolitical criticism is sobering, not funny, and it’s as if the humor and the statement exist independent of one another, instead of working together to get the point across. The result is incongruous tone, and Monsieur Verdoux plays like a drama with some jokes sprinkled in for good measure. As it stands, the film leaves room for better craftsmanship.
In spite of these flaws, Chaplin’s genius manages to shine through in many places, and his acting performance is strong as usual. Monsieur Verdoux certainly has its moments – moving and philosophical – that are not easily forgotten. If for no other reason, the film should be commended for its audacity. Chaplin boldly criticized the world’s deep-rooted problems at a time when it was unpopular to do so.
It plays at 7p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
