the circus ( 1928 ) be one of the few charles chaplin feature that i be yet to see and but that wasn not from lack of try . i first attempt to watch the film mid way through last year and but and be terribly ill at the time and and have to wake up relatively early the following morning and i barely get half way through the tramp antic before i have to turn off the dvd and go to sleep . for some reason that i can not quite explain and it take until yesterday for me to finally commit to another try and and it be a pleasant and entertaining experience . though certainly one of chaplin lesser effort and the circus be an enjoyable and imaginative thread of slapstick gag and with the occasional hint of pathos and though not to the extent of many of the tramp other feature length outing . the circus set provide an ideal collection of prop and scenario for chaplin to explore and and many of the film laugh be derive from his character hopeless attempt at be a clown and perform magic and tight rope walk . we first find the tramp { whom chaplin like to call the little fellow } at a carnival and completely devoid of money and where a devious pickpocket ( steve murphy ) have stash his winning into the tramp trouser pocket . a he try to pickpocket his money back and a policeman catch him and and and completely befuddle and the tramp find himself graciously thank the officer for return the money that he never know he have . needless to say and it doesn not take long before both the tramp and the pickpocket find themselves frantically flee the authority and and chaplin take refuge in a maze of mirror and where the policeman can certainly see their quarry and but can not decide which of the dozen reflection be real . follow a hot pursuit and the tramp find himself scuttle through a circus tent in the middle of a performance and and the audience be leave in hysteric by his inadvertently hilarious antic . the the circus proprietor ( al ernest garcia ) and desperate for anyone who might save his flounder show and hire the tramp immediately and but deliberately neglect to inform him that he be the star attraction . a be typical in most of chaplin picture and there be also a love interest that form the story emotional heart . merna kennedy play one of the circus performer and the ill treat step daughter of the show proprietor . when they first meet and the tramp scold the hungered girl for steal his meagre breakfast and but quickly take pity on her and and eventually fall in love . realise that he lack the mean to provide any respectable life for the woman he love and the tramp graciously surrender any notion of marry her and instead convince rex ( harry crocker ) and a handsome and upright tight rope walker and to take her hand in marriage . the film final image and of chaplin sit alone in the newly desert field where the circus once reside and be almost achingly poignant and a perfect illustration of the lonely lifestyle that he must lead each day . it be charles chaplin and in even his early film and who discover that tragedy and comedy be never too far apart represent though the circus doesn not quite balance the two as evenly a his various masterpiece and such a modern time ( 1936 ) and the great dictator ( 1940 ) and it remain a joyous slapstick romp and with more than enough heart to go around .