“Charlie – the Kid. It seems fitting that the title of one of Chaplin’s most popular films be next to his name: it helps to understand his essence, just like the nicknames “the Conqueror”, “Lionheart”, or “the Terrible” explain the profound natures of William, who conquered the islands that would become Great Britain, of Richard, the legendary hero of the Crusades, and of the wise tsar from Moscow, Ivan Vassilievic IV. (…)

“Remember that scene in The Kid, when I tossed food to a poor family’s children like crumbs to pigeons?”

This conversation takes place on Chaplin’s yacht, where we are guests for three days on the ocean’s waves near Catalina Island, in the midst of sea lions, flying fish and marine gardens that can be contemplated through glass-bottomed boats.

“Well I did it on purpose, out of scorn. I never liked children”.

The author of The Kid, who made half the world cry for that poor abandoned urchin…doesn’t like children. Is he a “monster”?!

(…) The yacht continues to rock. The rocking reminds Chaplin of the swaying movement of elephants. “I despise elephants. They’re so strong but so docile!…”

“What animal do you like?”

“Wolves!” he replies without a moment’s hesitation. And with his grey eyes, his grey eyebrows and grey hair he looks like wolf. (…)

A wolf.

Forced to live in a pack. And to always be alone. Just like Cha­plin! Constantly fighting with his pack. One is the enemy of the other and everyone is an enemy of everyone else”.

Sergej M. Ejzenstejn, Charlie the Kid (1937) (extract), in Id., Charlie Chaplin, SE, Milano, 2005