El globero

Some 1961 movies still hold up. But not many. And not this one.

Based on Chaplin's The Kid, this movie follows the extremely implausible goings on of a balloon salesman (globero). I don't want to spoil the plot twists.so instead I will focus on its style.

It tries to copy Chaplin's Vaudeville acting style. But it pales by comparison. The camera work is disjointed and distracting with countless jump cuts and poor continuity.

The fights and blocking seem intended to have been hilarious, and maybe they were to unsophisticated viewers in the 1960s, but today the haminess of feeble karate chops that elicit exaggerated wincing and terrible bruise make up fall flat, even for kids.

The obviously empty luggage and horribles holes in the plot are now unforgivable sins in cinema. Even for slapstick comedies that seek to be profound.

This might be an interesting film for a film historian. But not for anyone else who wants to spend two hours wisely.