There was barely a minute in the Circus I wasn't smiling and/or laughing like a silly little kid, and that's the key for how successful the picture is and, hopefully, in its appeal. For those handful of young people (i.e. children) who would be adventurous enough to come close to a black and white movie let alone one without any dialog, it's possibly the most enjoyable of all of Chaplin's pre-1940 work. This doesn't mean it'll make you cry like City Lights or be somewhat enlightened like Modern Times, but it has a fresh and joyous and innocent delight in its making and Chaplin as the Little Tramp, where here he's more than ever like a simple cartoon character thrust into this rough-and-tumble circus world with a mean ringmaster and kind and kind of loving girl.<br /><br />And it's not just the infamous climactic tightrope act, although if for no other reason that's one big reason to see the film as the little Tramp goes haywire with his plans to "safely" go across the tightrope. It's just the entire assemblage of skits and moments, little things that might seem silly to talk about- like Chaplin locked in a lion's cage or trying to 'learn' a barber trick- and how it unfolds with a precision and finesse (yes, finesse) that is just short of genius, if not that. In fact a big point in the film is "try and act funny", which is not something that can really be barked on command to anyone, especially the Little Tramp who, in essence, garners his comedy from unintentional goofiness, embarrassment or humiliation on the parts of others, or just plain old physical pratfalls. What we get in the Circus is the tale of the classic clown in the midst of a whole programmed slew of them, and what it takes to make it in it- or what humanity is there.<br /><br />As said, it doesn't necessarily have the best love story, even if that's touching, and it doesn't make some big statement on the working-man or society in general. But if you want to just flat-out laugh at some incredible stunts and witness Chaplin's craft of quality, The Circus is fantastic fun.