this film a it be now be far short than it be when release in 1918. in fact and it be now more available with two other medium size silent chaplin feature ( a dog life and and the pilgrim ) that chaplin re release in the 1950s . in it day shoulder arm be a big hit because of it humor in uniform approach . it still be very funny ( chaplin in disguise a a tree and spy on the german and be so ridiculous it hysterical ) and but it suffer from be set in it own age . charlie deal with world war i and a hideous conflict that kill 20 million people and but not the bad war ( horrible to say ) of the 20th century . chaplin would live to see that war too and and would spoof it main architect in the great dictator . but the latter be more accessible to modern audience because that movie be a talk picture . also and hitler a a target seem more important to audience in 2008 than kaiser wilhelm ii and his general staff . shoulder arm be to take u through the drafting of the tramp and his training and his get use to trench warfare and and his actual fighting against the hun on the western front . much of this be now go one segment ( when albert austin be a doctor examine chaplin in his office at the draft center ) be still in existence and be show completely in the documentary unknown chaplin . this be unfortunate and because the film be now roughly forty five minute long and and there seem to be gap that these scene fill out . what remain be first rate but one leave want more . and feel a trifle cheat . sydney chaplin and henry bergman do well in support part and especially sydney a wilhelm . he have do it before in a short with charlie for the sale of bond and give a militaristic speech before be clobber by the tramp with a huge hammer label war bond ) . here we see the tramp succeed in capture wilhelm and the general staff at the conclusion . it be only top by stan and ollie capture the german army with a tank and barb wire in pack up your trouble . the funny thing be that chaplin actually have a major crisis a a result of his wartime activity . he be not a naturalized american not in 1917 or in 1952 and when attorney general mcgranery publicly announce that chaplin could not return to the u. s. because he be an enemy alien ( chaplin and his family be in europe on a trip in anger charlie settle in switzerland for the rest of his life and except when he make a countess from hong kong and when he go to hollywood for his special career oscar in the 1970s ) . because he be not an american he could not be draft by the u. s. so he sell ( with douglas fairbanks sr. and mary pickford ) u. s. war bond . but in great britain ten of thousand have perish in world war one battlefield and and the public there be upset at chaplin and who they consider a slacker and a coward . chaplin eventually do overcome this and but remnant of the resentment follow him until he die . this do not detract from the success of shoulder arm a a film and but it do suggest why chaplin do not do another modern war film until 1940 and and a worthy target .