A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate

Charlie Chaplin's most unexpected film — a sophisticated Parisian drama of manners with no slapstick, no Tramp, and no comedy at all. When a young woman believes she's been jilted by her artist fiancé, she becomes the mistress of a wealthy Parisian, choosing comfort over love. Years later, the fiancé reappears, and she must choose between security and passion. Chaplin made the film partly to showcase his protégée Edna Purviance in a dramatic role, and partly to prove he could do anything — and the result astonished critics and bewildered audiences who wanted the Little Tramp. The film's subtle, non-judgmental treatment of its heroine's choices was revolutionary; Ernst Lubitsch called it the most sophisticated film ever made. A commercial failure that influenced an entire generation of filmmakers, from Lubitsch himself to Billy Wilder.