Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Melanie Bouvet
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
Neive Bellamy
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Brenda
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
I am probably not among the biggest fans of Chaplin or silent films in general, but I did enjoy watching this 25-minute short film "The Bank". It will have its 100th anniversary in about a week by the way. This is a silent, black-and-white movie and the reason why I loved it is that it has more than just a random collection of comedic slapstick moments from Chaplin. There is a bit of a romance tragedy in here and you just want to give him a hug when he realizes the letter was not for him. Poor Charlie. And there is some nice drama too and if you hear the bank, you probably already guess that this will be about a heist and you are correct in this case. Some gun action, but not in a way where you think wow they tried to make it look so spectacular, but rather in a way where it was not too much and yet enough too seem appropriate for the story. Thumbs up for this one. Eric Campbell is not yet in here, but Edna Purviance already is and she does a good job as usual. Recommended.
Baxter Martin
"The Bank" (1915, Chaplin) "The Bank" was one of Charlie's 1915 Essanay films. While these group of films are more watchable than their 1914 counterparts, this one seems a bit below average. The gag with the janitorial double combo-locked vault and the tough-luck ending that has Charlie waking up from a dream, in which he is stroking the lead lady's hair, only to be stroking the head of a mop he had used as a quasi pillow, are both classic Chaplin moments. They are both ironically the beginning and the end. The middle is filled in with fighting with the rival co-worker janitor and busting up a bank robbery to win the girl. The mop is probably the greatest physical prop of this movie and Charlie uses it to expert comedic effect whether while it is the intention of his character or not. The mop seems to be Charlie's alter-ego doing things he wishes he could do but wouldn't with his own two hands. Interesting stuff but there's better.
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.