City Lights: #11 Best Movie of All Time

History is Written by the Artists

The Project: Submerge myself in humanity’s best art in the form of the 100 Best Albums, Movies, and Novels. City Lights is the #11 best movie of all time, according to American Film Institute.

The Results: Improved mood, less fear and anxiety, and the strongest faith in humanity I’ve ever had. Join me here, and please give my publication a follow.

City Lights is a 1931 romantic comedy/drama written, produced by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin.

This is the first silent film on the Top 100 Movies list and my first experience with a Charlie Chaplin film. He also wrote the score for the movie, which he did for all of his feature films.

While “talkies” had been around long enough by 1931 to effectively kill silent films, Chaplin considered his unique artistry, that of a “pantomimist,” as his first love, and this film is a crowning achievement of the silent film era. He was also rich enough by then to do whatever the hell he wanted, and he wasn’t done with silent films, so there.

There’s a life lesson right off the bat: Pursue making art you can put your heart and soul into, even in the midst of technological disruption.