Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

With a running length of 45 minutes, Shoulder Arms is either Charlie Chaplin's longest short, or his shortest feature. A silent feature has at least five reels, and imdb.com lists the film as having only three. On the other hand, it is longer than Buster Keaton's Sherlock, Jr., which is universally considered to be a feature.

Regardless of the category that it belongs in, Shoulder Arms is a funny movie, and the only film in which his character depicts a soldier during wartime. The film was made during America's 1917-1918 involvement in World War I, and was released a few months before the armistice that ended it.

Is Shoulder Arms a propaganda film that supports the American WWI war effort? Of course it is, but it never forsakes comedy for polemics. The violence is cartoonish in nature, although the hardships and dangers of life in the trenches is an underlying theme.

The German soldiers are depicted as oafs, while their commanding officers are sadists, lechers, and pompous fools. None of the representations can be called racist, however, and no one who sees the film will find it offensive. The achievements of the ordinary doughboy, as symbolized by Chaplin's tramp, are wildly exaggerated. But the rug is pulled out from under the accomplishments when they are revealed to be a fantasy, perhaps as a subtle parody of similar 'Sergeant York'-styled heroic war films.

Most of the cast plays multiple roles, adding to the fun of spotting the actors in their different costumes. Chaplin's half-brother Sidney appears as a drill sergeant and as the German Kaiser. Edna Purviance is once again the leading lady, as she is in nearly every Chaplin film made between 1915 and 1923.

Chaplin directed, wrote and produced Shoulder Arms in addition to appearing in nearly every scene. Chaplin also composed the score, which was not original to the film but dates from the 1950s. Perhaps he should have edited the film as well, as the cutting is amateurish by 'modern' standards. But this has marginal effect on the overall quality of the film. (73/100)

The source DVD for Shoulder Arms is titled "Charlie Chaplin: First National Collection". It contains over three hours of silent films that Chaplin made while under his unprecedented million dollar contract with First National.

In chronological order are the shorts Sunnyside, A Day's Pleasure, The Idle Class, Pay Day and The Pilgrim. These films all feature Chaplin's tramp character, but he is given a wider range of situations and character traits than he had in his former days with Mutual. The grades for these shorts range from the mid-60s to the mid-70s, and they never fail to be entertaining.

Also present is outtake footage from Shoulder Arms. Chaplin originally intended to begin the film with scenes of the doughboy's home life, which includes an abusive, unseen wife and three little tykes who walk and talk like Chaplin himself. Finally, the DVD contains a curious 'home movie' Chaplin made with a young and confident Louis Mountbatten, a notable member of the British royalty and a direct descendant of Queen Victoria.

The DVD does not contain all of Chaplin's film's under his First National contract. The Kid and A Dog's Life are missing, but they are available together on a different DVD title.

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Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8
Special Effects: Well at least you can't see the strings