''City Lights'', 1931, art by Renato Casaro is a mixed media by Movie World Posters which was uploaded on May 30th, 2021.
''City Lights'', 1931, art by Renato Casaro
A vintage movie poster of ''City Lights'', a 1931 silent romantic comedy-drama film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. It is widely regarded... more
Title
''City Lights'', 1931, art by Renato Casaro
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Posters
Description
A vintage movie poster of ''City Lights'', a 1931 silent romantic comedy-drama film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and is celebrated for its blend of humor, romance, and poignant storytelling. Here's a description of the movie:
Plot Summary:
"City Lights" follows the misadventures of the iconic Tramp character, portrayed by Charlie Chaplin. The film begins with the Tramp wandering the streets of a bustling city, where he encounters various challenges and humorous situations. He becomes entangled with a drunken millionaire, portrayed by Harry Myers, who is contemplating suicide. The Tramp's efforts to save the millionaire lead to a hilarious and chaotic sequence.
The Tramp's life takes a turn when he meets a blind flower girl, portrayed by Virginia Cherrill, who mistakes him for a wealthy man. She believes him to be kind and generous, and he becomes enamored with her. To win her affection and support her financially, the Tramp takes on odd jobs and even participates in a boxing match for prize money.
Throughout the film, the Tramp's interactions with the flower girl are both heartwarming and comical. He goes to great lengths to hide his own poverty and maintain the illusion of being wealthy in her eyes. Despite his own struggles, he is determined to help her regain her sight through an expensive operation.
The film's title, "City Lights," reflects the stark contrast between the bright and hopeful moments of the Tramp's romance with the flower girl and the harsh realities of the urban environment. It also symbolizes the idea that the Tramp is a shining light in the lives of those he encounters.
"City Lights" is known for its exceptional physical comedy, including the famous boxing match scene and the Tramp's encounters with various challenges and obstacles in the city. Chaplin's expressive and graceful performance as the Tramp adds depth to the character's charm and vulnerability.
One of the most iconic and emotionally resonant scenes in the film occurs at the end when the flower girl, who has regained her sight, finally sees the Tramp's true appearance. The film's conclusion is poignant and remains one of the most memorable moments in cinematic history.
"City Lights" is a testament to Charlie Chaplin's filmmaking genius. Despite being a silent film released well into the era of sound cinema, it was a critical and commercial success. Chaplin's ability to blend humor with genuine emotion and his talent for storytelling through pantomime and visual comedy set the film apart.
The film's enduring appeal lies in its ability to evoke laughter and tears, making it a timeless classic that continues to be cherished by audiences worldwide. It is often regarded as Chaplin's masterpiece and a cinematic treasure that captures the essence of human connection and resilience.
About the artist:
Born in 1935 in Treviso, Italy, Casaro painted posters for many of the world's leading producers and directors. He was exceptionally skilled at his accurate portrayals of actors and his unique use of color and composition. As a result, he was in demand by many of the major film studios, for which he created about 2,000 posters.
In October 2021, "The New York Times" stated that during the six decades of his career, "Casaro's hand-drawn art has hooked movie audiences around the world since the 1950s. Tarantino and Stallone are big fans." His artwork has graced numerous Italian and American posters along with many from Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
His career began when, realizing that besides loving going to see movies, he had a natural knack for drawing and painting. He was offered a job when he was 17 by the owner of Garibaldi Cinema in Treviso, Italy, to paint billboards in exchange for free admission. A year later, he moved to Rome to work as an apprentice for Favalli Studio, a leading film advertising agency.
In 1956, he opened his own art studio at the age of only 21. Within a few years, he drew the attention of film producer Dino De Laurentis. Then in 1965, another producer, Sergio Leone, engaged him to design posters for many of his films, including his early westerns starring Clint Eastwood. In Leone's film, "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), he gave Casaro's artwork recognition in the movie's end-credits.
In 1968, Casaro began working with Cineriz, an Italian media company involved primarily in producing and distributing films. He was among the first artists to use a manual airbrush for his works, beginning in 1975. This new technique helped revolutionize poster art, which had until then relied on a more impressionistic style with traditional brushwork.
In 1982 De Laurentis commissioned Casaro to paint posters for films featuring a new actor, one who he felt was destined for fame: Arnold Schwarzenegger. He then painted the posters for the "Conan" trilogy, the breakthrough films for Schwarzenegger, who was mostly known as a champion bodybuilder. However, De Laurentis wanted Casaro to focus on the actor's face, not his impressive physique. "Dino wanted to launch him," Mr. Casaro said. "He knew that Schwarzenegger would explode as an actor."
That same year, another major star, Sylvester Stallone, said he loved how Casaro had depicted him in the film poster depicting the troubled Vietnam vet, "Rambo" (1982). "Stallone said that I had entered into his soul," Casaro said.
He continued painting and designing film posters throughout the following decades. In 1987, director Bernardo Bertolucci hired him to design the poster for "The Sheltering Sky." Beginning in 1989, he began using a new style for many of his posters, that of interpreting actors and scenes inspired by masters from the 16th century.
He continued designing posters until recently. In 2018, director Quentin Tarantino commissioned him to produce the artwork for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Looking back at his poster styles, Casaro said, "The important thing was to capture the essential: that moment, that glance, that attitude, that movement that says everything and condenses the entire story. That's the hard part."
He currently lives in Andalucia, Spain, where he still paints. However, he largely stopped doing posters in 1998, as he preferred creating hand-painted or manually airbrushed images over the digital and photoshopped renderings that had become the industry standard.
In 2017, the book "Renato Casaro: The art of movie painting" was published, showcasing a large selection of his works and describing the evolution of film art from its early years to the present. And in 2020, a documentary film about his life was released, titled, "The Last Movie Painter".
Search "Casaro" to see other works.
Uploaded
May 30th, 2021
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