TheLittleSongbird Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors. From his Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'The Bank is not one of his very best but is one of his best early efforts and among the better short films of his. It shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career, from 1914, The Essanay period is something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. Something that can be seen in the more than worthwhile 'The Bank'. The story is still a little flimsy, there are times where it struggles to sustain the short length, and could have had more variety.On the other hand, 'The Bank' looks pretty good, not incredible but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work and not churning out countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious.While not one of his most hilarious or touching, 'The Bank' is still very funny with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick and is one of his first to have substance and pathos. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight. Chaplin directs more than competently, if not quite cinematic genius standard yet. He also, as usual, gives an amusing and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality and substance of the role. The supporting cast acquit themselves well.In summary, very good and one of the best from Chaplin's Essanay period. 8/10 Bethany Cox

CitizenCaine Chaplin edited, wrote, directed, and starred in The Bank, a film about rising above one's station in life and overcoming obstacles. Chaplin was raised in poverty, and because of that, often had himself portray characters victimized by or at odds with the upper classes. Here he plays a janitor in a bank who is frustrated with his lowly status but tries to make do anyway. He has trouble with a fellow janitor, and then he mistakes the secretary's gift for a cashier as being for himself. He sulks away before having a chance to win the secretary again during a bank robbery. Two of the robbers are future film directors: Lloyd Bacon and Wesley Ruggles. The ending seems to suggest to the lower classes that it's OK to have aspirations, but if they aren't achieved, one should be satisfied with one's lot in life. I'm not sure I buy that though. Chaplin, by now, was world famous, and his comedy was becoming more sophisticated and seamlessly integrated into his plots. The Bank tells a simple story with underpinnings of pathos as well as slapstick. **1/2 of 4 stars.

MartinHafer Apart from the very end of this short, I think this might be one of the very best Chaplin shorts I have seen. The pacing was excellent, the story cute and involving and everything seemed to fit together just right--until the ending. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!Some may like the way the film ended, but I felt REALLY disappointed and irritated at the way they chose to conclude the film. You see, Charlie is a janitor and when the bank is later robbed, Charlie foils the robbers and gets the girl--this works out so well and everything is perfect. However, this all turns out to be a dream! I think Chaplin did this because of his infatuation with pathos in many of his films and while this did make the ending very poignant and sad, it also seemed to undo and ruin everything that occurred before he awoke and found he was just a lowly janitor and not a hero after all.

Snow Leopard This is one of the best of Charlie Chaplin's many early short films (i.e. from 1914-1916). Besides containing a lot of slapstick humor, the bank setting leads to some interesting subplots and themes.Charlie is a janitor in the bank, and he usually manages to create more messes than he cleans up. Much of the first part of the movie is a series of comic misadventures while Charlie is trying to do his job, producing a lot of laughs. Then we find that Charlie has his eyes on a girl, and meanwhile some bank robbers come on the scene.All of it leads to some good comedy, while also having some moments of humanity similar to those in the great films that Chaplin would create later. Charlie's character in this one is sympathetic and memorable. "The Bank" is a short feature with humor and substance, and it is one of the best examples of Chaplin's earlier work.