The Circus Movie (1928): Where to watch and stream online

The Circus

1928, Movie, 1h 12min

In the last film he made during the silent era, Charlie Chaplin revels in the art of the circus, paying tribute to the acrobats and pantomimists who inspired his virtuoso pratfalls. After being mistaken for a pickpocket, Chaplin’s Tramp flees into the ring of a traveling circus and soon becomes the star of the show, falling for the troupe’s bareback rider along the way. Despite its famously troubled production, this gag-packed comedy ranks among Chaplin’s finest, thanks to some of the most audacious set pieces of the director-performer’s career, including a close brush with a lion and a climactic tightrope walk with a barrelful of monkeys. THE CIRCUS, which was rereleased in 1969 with a new score by Chaplin, is an uproarious high-wire act that showcases silent cinema’s most popular entertainer at the peak of his comic powers.

Country: United States

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Reviews

Critic Roger Ebert

rated

...one of his funniest films and certainly the most troubled.

Read full review at Roger Ebert

Critic Alan Morrison

rated

The laughing/crying clown tradition was never better realised in a Chaplin feature than in this silent comedy.

Read full review at Empire

Frequently asked questions

What is The Circus about? Toggle content

In this classic silent film, a penniless and hungry vagabond stumbles into a circus midway and becomes the unlikeliest of stars. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, he becomes the talk of the town, but his newfound fame is threatened when he falls in love with the ringmaster's stepdaughter, who has her own secrets. With a blend of slapstick humor and heartwarming romance, this film is a timeless masterpiece that continues to entertain audiences to this day.

Where can I stream The Circus? Toggle content

You can stream The Circus on: Amazon Prime ⎥ Lionsgate+

What movies are similar to The Circus? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Circus include The Gold Rush, L’Age d’Or, Svengali, Morocco, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.