Chaplin edited, wrote, produced, and directed this final film he made for First National Pictures. It was also the final film he made with Edna Purviance playing a major role. Chaplin plays an escaped convict who happens upon a town near the Mexican border. The town's residents mistake him for the new minister they're expecting. It's another mistaken identity plot with Chaplin poking some fun at religion. It was surely as taboo of a subject to address on film then as it is today, if not even more so. Chaplin finds himself in a bind when he falls for Edna Purviance in the town but is simultaneously forced to join with a former cell-mate to rob the town's church. Meanwhile, Chaplin must dodge lawmen who may recognize him as an escaped convict. Chaplin has hilarious scenes trying to uphold the sanctity of his new title while fighting the pickpocket in the minister's house with guests present. That particular scene is a visual metaphor for Chaplin's character's battle with his old and new lives. Chaplin follows the pickpocket to a gambling hall where he mischievously reacquires the church's money in disguise while the townsfolk discover who Chaplin really is. Chaplin is humanely allowed to leave town, but he is set upon by Mexican bandits and wants to return at the fadeout. It's odd Chaplin never took on religion previously, since he wasn't particularly fond of organized religion in real life. This film was later used against Chaplin by overzealous HUAC supporters resulting in his banishment from the United States, a sad and pathetic chapter in American history. **1/2 of 4 stars.
Review of The Pilgrim
