A fantastic reason why not to believe Cinema Expressionism was confined solely to Germany! Compare this work to Caligari, and see for yourself. The settings and makeup not only use the black and white scheme to its fullest, but the far out set designs make this a wonderfully abstract short. This little film explodes the myth that Chaplin was not a "filmic" director, as the whole thing depends entirely on artifice. A great way to explore Chaplin as an artist, not just as a movie maker or comic. The Bond may have been made to avert the scandal caused by Chaplin's failure to enlist in the army (his first real hint of bad press, nastily foreshadowing his later troubles), but it is a sign of Chaplin's abilities that he managed to make this short so much more than propaganda. Further, his brother Sidney makes a startling Kaisar!
