Director: Charlie Chaplin
Year: 1935
Country: US
Language: English
Surprisingly, I wasn't aware of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times until I had saw that the Criterion Collection was releasing it. By then I had seen majority of Chaplin's films up to 1931 including The Great Dictator and Limelight. My initial reaction was that Modern Times was one of his more mature political comedies. It made a great bold statement which must have been met with some controversy. Indeed it was one of the films the FBI would use in their defense to assist in getting Chaplin deported from the country in the early 50's. This film is his hilariously cynical satire against modern technology and an ode to the silent films that made him known worldwide.
In the early part of the twentieth century Chaplin built an empire of a career in silent cinema. He created his own character, The Tramp, a purely silent character who could not exist in a world of sound. Unfortunately, due to great pressures, Modern Times was Chaplin's last "silent" film. Though there are a few sounds, they are usually gibberish or the very authoritative words of a strict boss. Sound is not viewed in a good light. Modern Times is Chaplin's turn against modern society and the machine age. It is a strong rebellion against everything Nazi sympathizer Henry Ford stood for. The film starts with Chaplin's slow mental breakdown at a factory, when he gets out he is mistaken for a communist and sent to jail. He gets out but desperately wants to go back. The film follows his many hilarious escapades
This film is a true testament to Chaplin's ability to be both comedic and serious at the same time. He is a mature clown with a VERY important statement to make. Chaplin uses his film, like he has used many of his films, as a social critique.. This social critique is against technology and how it dehumanizes people. It is a powerful statement against both the rules and systems in place that prevent human progress.Chaplin and his lady's anti-authority stance is clear from the very beginning when he likens workers as sheep and as machines. Technology seems to consume the life of almost everyone in this film.The Deluxe Feeding Machine reduces men into babies by feeding them because they cannot feed themselves as quickly as their bosses want them to eat. There are strikes all around because machines are replacing men. This is reality in Chaplin's time and is still a sad reality.
This film also shows Chaplin's strong dislike for the "system" Chaplin gets arrested three separate times in this film, sadly his life in jail is actually better than his life outside, where he constantly has to look for a job and listen to the dumb demands of his overbearing bosses.In the jail he is at least treated like a human being, instead of a number. The "criminals" of this film are easily sympathized with, since all they are doing is either stealing because they are hungry or protesting because they are job-less. However, the ending has a rather optimistic feel. You can succeed, but not if you are one of the sheep. Rebel against the system and don't be turned into a wage slave. Through great struggle there will be great triumph, as Chaplin and his lover walk off into the sunset, happy as they walk down the road to opportunity away from technology and the silliness of society's "rules".
In conclusion, Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times is arguably more relevant now than it was when it was first show in theaters. While technology can help mankind, it has assisted in restoring Chaplin's pictures and making them available to the public, it also has the ability to hurt mankind. More and more jobs are being taken over by technology. The advancement of technology has allowed more jobs to be located overseas, where people are willing to work like machines for low pay because there are fewer laws in place to help the average worker and it's better than nothing. The struggle to be human in the technological age is increasing at a rapid rate. Hopefully we can eventually get a hold of technology, before technology gets a hold of us. Praise it! 5/5
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