Charlie Chaplin filmmaking methods, claiming such a thing would be tantamount to a magician spoiling his own illusion. Little was known about his working process throughout his lifetime, but research from film historians – particularly the findings of Kevin Brownlow and David Gill that were presented in the three-part documentary "Unknown Chaplin" (1983) – has since revealed his unique working method. Until he began making spoken dialogue films with "The Great Dictator", Chaplin never shot from a completed script. Many of his early films began with only a vague premise – for example "Charlie enters a health spa" or "Charlie works in
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin Gleiberman writing a positive review for "Entertainment Weekly" said that "The nature of silent comedy was to elevate its heroes into myths, but after "Charlie" I can't wait to see Chaplin's movies again, this time to glimpse the man on the other side of the icon." David Stratton of "Variety" described the film that it is "A thoroughly researched and extremely informative survey of the life and work of one of the great figures of world cinema, Richard Schickel's "Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin" is a must for lovers of cinema." Charlie: The Life and Art of