Monsieur Verdoux

"The cleverest and most brilliant film I have yet made."—Charles Chaplin

Years ahead of its time, this "comedy of murders" is Charlie Chaplin’s most audacious and atypical film and remains one of his most underappreciated. Basing the film on a story idea by Orson Welles, Chaplin does away with his Little Tramp character and gives the finest performance of his career as a suave Bluebeard who marries wealthy women and murders them to collect their fortunes in order to support his real family. The manner in which Chaplin combines the comedic possibilities of sound filmmaking with his mastery of silent physical comedy makes this one of his most radical films in style as well as in theme. With a scene-stealing performance by Martha Raye. (123 mins., 35mm)