A Countess from Hong Kong | | Cast : | Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren | | Director : | Charles Chaplin | | Studio : | Universal Studios Ho | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | March 15, 1967 | | DVD Released Date : | March 04, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | G (General Audience) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 06, 2005 | | Summary | Warning to Brando and Chaplin fans. | Content
 | If you are either a Brando or Chaplin fan, see this movie last. Considering the talent involved, this is a disappointment. The performances and humor feel forced. Brando mentions in his autobiography that making this film wasn't a happy experience, and it shows. The way the actors move around, by darting into one door and out another, that Chaplin was directing as if this were a black and white pantomime. This technique worked well in his earlier films, but here, it looks terribly outdated.
I give three stars on the merits of the actors and the director, since I tend to be somewhat biased. However, I don't recommend starting with his film since Brando and Chaplin both created stronger material. For Chaplin, I recommend starting with The Gold Rush or City Lights. For Brando, I recommend Streetcare Named Desire or On The Waterfront. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 12, 2004 | | Summary | Wonderful | Content
| I abolutely like this movie, because I dont see it as a "last film from C.C." I see it as it is, a good comedy, especially
because Loren an Brando do not have the greatest chemestry - it
makes it even funnier. I like the type of comedy from these days
and it cant be compared to our times - I judge it positively for a movie from these days. Love it much! |
| Rating | | | Date | October 30, 2004 | | Summary | Chaplin's Sad Swansong | Content
| "A Countess From Hong Kong" (1967) is painfully unfunny and depressing to sit through, particularly since it was Charlie Chaplin's final film. At age 77, he was obviously out of touch as a filmmaker and no longer enjoyed the creative autonomy of his own studio. This shows in the finished product, which is terribly claustrophobic and static. Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren are expected to do little more than Chaplin imitations and both appear ill-at-ease with the weak romantic-comedy material. One wishes that Chaplin had permitted a documentary to be filmed on the "Countess" set -- it would have been far more intriguing and enjoyable than this leaden farce. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 09, 2003 | | Summary | a little old-fashioned for 1960s standards | Content
| A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG was director/comedian Charlie Chaplin's final film. In this film he is the director, writer and composer. The story concerns a beguiling Russian countess named Natascha (Sophia Loren - HOUSEBOAT), a young woman forced into prostitution in Hong Kong, when she happens to meet an American politician named Ogden Mears (Marlon Brando - A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, SUPERMAN). She stows away in his stateroom aboard a ship headed back to the States, where she belives she can escape her miserable life. The usual battle-of-the-sexes ensues, when Natascha and Ogden are forced to spend the entire voyage together, bickering and fighting over their different opinions and tastes. But its soon evident that they are in love. Things become complicated when Ogden's icy wife (Tippi Hedren - THE BIRDS, MARNIE) joins the ship at Hawaii, while Natascha finds herself marrying Ogden's valet in order to gain an American passport! This is a film that feels a little old-fashioned for the 1960s, but it is a rather charming and engaging romantic comedy. Perhaps the film is best-known for launching the hit single "(Love) This is My Song", made famous by Petula Clark. The movie also stars Sydney Chaplin, Patrick Cargill and Margaret Rutherford in a rather-clever cameo. The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc). This DVD is part of a new series of classic releases from Universal that also include "Pillow Talk", "Send Me No Flowers", "The Thrill of It All!" and a twofer of "Man's Favorite Sport?/Strange Bedfellows". |
| Rating | | | Date | April 27, 2003 | | Summary | Another review | Content
| I see there's several reviews already for this film, but here goes my two cents worth. Even though this is Chaplin's last film, it's his first and only film in color and widescreen. The movie is old fashion to say the least, it might of been better in b/w. Brando and Loren are completely wasted, the supporting players fair much better. Chaplin is quite good in his cameo role (makes you wish he'd given himself a bigger part). At the time, Chaplin took the negative reviews as almost a personal threat. He really defended the film, even going so far as to say he thought it was the best film he ever made! However several years later he admitted it wasn't very good, he said the actors where great but the story was really thin. |
|
