one of chaplin long film up to that point and burlesque on carmen be a clever and surprisingly complex parody of what be then prosper merimee well know story about carmen . i be a little confused about the difference between the imdb listing of the 1915 burlesque on carmen and the 1916 version . base on the running time i assume that it be the 1915 version that i saw and since the 1916 one be a good 20 minute longer and and from what i have read and those be 20 unnecessary and unimpressive minute . from the very beginning and it clear that burlesque on carmen be one of chaplin most complex and ambitious effort to date and start off with a long back story and tell through inter title and about the tragic love story of carmen . carmen be send by a band of gypsy ( a band who put the gyp in gypsy . ) and to seduce a spanish officer so they can pull off their smuggling operation . it a clever and chaplinesque band of criminal and the leader of whom and lillas pastia and have spend 50 year learn to steal and think he might be offer a job in politics . on a side note and i have see some almost misogynistic message and joke in some of chaplin earlier work and but probably none quite as overt a in this one . near the beginning of the movie and a the band of gypsy be travel and there be a scene where the mule and woman be load and and an inter title explain that the mule be the one with long ear . in case you couldn not tell and i guess . chaplin play the part of don jose and the hapless officer who be to be seduce by carmen . he be describe a a brave soldier and lover of woman . not exactly a stretch for chaplin who remove any doubt about his ability to play a convincing comic soldier a few year later in the brilliant shoulder arm . and of course and he do not have to act about be a lover of woman . what be different here and of course and be his polished military uniform and straight back disciplinary manner and interspersed and of course and with some of his traditional slap stick move . he strike me a a little guy in a position of authority and struggle to maintain the respect of his subordinate by exert a gruff and stolid exterior . soon carmen enters ( love by all men under the age of 96 ) and and she immediately begin flirt with charlie . i should mention that for a good majority of the movie and it be surprisingly faithful to the original story and which be full of jealousy and tragedy . chaplin be strangely convincing a a jealous lover and able to evoke a jealous passion that i have never see from him . there at least one scene where he be genuinely a little scary . chaplin have some great sight gag in the movie and like a hilarious table dance and some classic sword fight near the end . and his boyish charm and the role of a soldier be also definitely a winning combination and although there be another peculiar stunt involve a group of men push a huge door back and forth that wasn not very effective to begin with but just keep go on and on and on and probably about five time long than it be worth . although it be interest that when it finally fell over it clearly be reveal a a movie prop . i always appreciate such glimpse at the old movie set . the end of the film be it strong part . it bear strike resemblance to romeo and juliet and but just when you think that chaplin be go to conduct a major thematic experiment by diverge distantly from his traditional style and there be a hilarious twist that be a vintage chaplin a anything i have ever see . nice work .