卓別林是英國著名的喜劇演員以及反戰人士，也可說是默片時代中最具影響力的人，不僅自編、自導、自演，最後還自己發行電影，一生從5歲到88歲可以說全部貢獻在演藝事業中。卓別林最為人所熟知的形象就是圓頂禮帽，希特勒式的八字鬍，柺杖，寬鬆褲子，大號的鞋子，以及幽默的企鵝舞步。他以詼諧逗趣的角色穿梭在工業急速發展、一切機械化的電影場景中。這樣反諷時事的手法正是他的電影成功受到人們重視的原因。
在「卓別林與他的情人」這部傳記電影中，我們看到一代笑匠的笑淚人生、情愛生活，和對人道主義的支持。他的複雜人生，不是上述這些刻板形象可以涵蓋的。小勞勃道尼飾演片中的主角卓別林，並因為本片同時入圍了奧斯卡和金球獎的最佳男主角提名。 導演李察艾登布祿為了加強影片的深度和層次，特地剪映許多卓別林的知名影片，如「城市之光」、「摩登時代」等，讓觀眾在現實和虛幻間一賭默片大師的風采。另外卓別林的親生女兒裘拉汀卓別林也在片中詮釋卓別林苦難的母親。 而凱文克萊、影帝安東尼霍普金斯也在片中客串演出，是另一種向大師致敬的方式。
根據卓別林的自傳，我們得知一位天才演員的產生，背後有多少的心酸血淚! 以下這段文字，是他難忘的童年回憶，描述他如何在五歲時初試啼聲登上舞台，代替他母親表演，而後一鳴驚人，開啟往後的演藝生涯:
I was born in London on April 16, 1889, at eight o’clock at night.
According to Mother, my world was a happy one. We had moderate means to support ourselves and lived in three rented rooms. One of my early memories was that each night before Mother went to work at the theater, she would lovingly tuck my brother and me in.
My lovely mother was a singer. Unfortunately, in her late twenties, she suffered from laryngitis, but she had to keep working as we had no other means of financial support. As the condition of her voice gradually worsened, she could no longer rely on it. In the middle of performances, her voice would crack or suddenly fade into a whisper.
It was because of her voice that I made my first appearance onstage at the age of five. If it had not been so, I wouldn’t have begun my performing career at such an early age.
1889年4月16日晚上8點，我誕生於倫敦。根據媽媽的說法，我過著快樂的生活。我們家的收入一般，可以養活自己並住在租來的三個房間裡。我早年的記憶之一是，每晚媽媽去劇場表演前，會先慈愛地幫哥哥和我蓋好被子。我慈愛的母親是位歌手。不幸地，在年近30歲時，她罹患喉炎，但因為我們沒有其他的經濟支援，她還是得繼續工作。當她聲音狀況越來越糟時，她不能再依靠她的嗓子。在表演進行到一半的時候，她的聲音就會變啞或突然變小。接著觀眾會開始大笑，並發出噓聲。正因為她的嗓子，我在五歲時就第一次登台表演。如果不是那樣，我不會在這麼小的年紀就開始了表演生涯。
One night, Mother took me to the theater where she worked. It was a dirty, shabby place. The audience was mostly noisy and rough soldiers who needed no excuse to ridicule anyone performing onstage. To most performers, the theater was a place of terror.
I remember standing backstage when Mother’s voice cracked and faded into a whisper. The audience began to laugh and make fun of her. I did not quite understand what was going on. Not until Mother left the stage did the noise stop. When she came backstage, she was very upset. The stage manager, who had seen me perform for family friends, suggested that I take Mother’s place. He then led me by the hand to the stage.
After a few words of explanation to the audience, the manager left the stage. Then, accompanied by the orchestra, I started to sing. Halfway through the performance, I looked up and saw a shower of money pouring onto the stage. Immediately, I stopped and announced that I would pick up the money first and sing afterward. This caused much laughter. The stage manager came onstage with a handkerchief and helped me gather the money. I thought he was going to keep it and conveyed the thought to the audience. The laughter increased, especially when the manager walked away from the stage with the money with me anxiously following him. Not until he handed all the money to Mother did I return to the stage and continue to sing.
After I began to feel at home onstage, I talked to the audience, danced, and did several imitations. I even did an innocent imitation of Mother’s cracking voice during an Irish march. The impact it had on the audience surprised me. There was laughter and cheers followed by more money throwing. When Mother came onstage to carry me off, her presence was met with enthusiastic applause. It was my first appearance onstage and Mother’s last.
一天晚上，媽媽帶我去她工作的劇院。那是一個骯髒、破舊的地方。觀眾大多是吵鬧、粗俗的軍人，他們會沒來由地嘲弄臺上的表演者。對大多數的表演者而言，這個劇院是個恐怖的地方。我記得當媽媽的聲音變啞、變小時，我正站在後臺。觀眾開始大笑，並嘲弄她。我不太了解發生了什麼事。直到媽媽下臺，吵鬧聲才停止。她回到後臺時，相當沮喪。舞臺監督曾經看過我在我們家的友人面前表演，就建議讓我代替媽媽。接著，他牽著我的手，領我上臺。向觀眾解釋幾句後，舞監就離開了舞臺。隨後，我就在樂隊的伴奏下開始唱歌。表演到一半時，我抬頭看到許多錢被灑向舞臺。我馬上停下來，並宣布我要先撿錢，然後再唱歌。這項舉動引發了更多的笑聲。舞臺監督拿了一條手帕上臺，幫我撿錢。我以為他要據為己有，就把這個想法告訴觀眾。他們笑得更大聲，尤其是當監督帶著錢離開舞臺，而我著急地跟在後頭的時候。直到他把所有的錢交給媽媽，我才回到臺上繼續唱歌。我在舞臺上感到很自在之後，我對著觀眾說話、跳舞和做一些模仿。我甚至在唱一首愛爾蘭進行曲時，沒有惡意地模仿媽媽變啞的嗓音。這對觀眾所產生的影響令我感到驚訝。笑聲和歡呼後更多的錢被丟上台來。當媽媽上臺帶我下去時，她的出現博得熱烈的掌聲。那是我第一次上臺表演，也是媽媽的最後一次。
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