USCCB - (Film and Broadcasting)

Monsieur Verdoux

Alphabetical Listing of Movie Reviews

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Monsieur Verdoux -- Written, produced and directed by Charles Chaplin, the fact-based black comedy stars Chaplin in the title role as a French Bluebeard (Chaplin) who marries wealthy women, then murders them for their money. Though his first serious role disappointed audiences of its day, Chaplin as a performer was never better in the subtlety of gesture and expression. There is much sharp wit in the script along with some great slapstick, notably from Martha Raye who proves impervious to all murderous strategems. Its criticism of society's hypocrisy, however, is often strained and its attempts to punctuate serious themes with humor is uneven. (A-III) (nr) ( 1947 )

These movies have been evaluated for artistic merit and moral suitability by the media reviewing division of Catholic News Service. The reviews include the CNS rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

A-I -- general patronage;
A-II -- adults and adolescents;
A-III -- adults;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.

Note: Some movies previously were designated A-IV. Older films with this classification should be regarded as classified L.