Modern Times Review
By: T.J. “we’ll get a home, even if I have to work for it” Mulligan
When the era of the silent film began ending people were fearful of what these type of changes to film could mean for the medium itself. Some balked at the bawdiness of the idea - the thought that a film wasn’t living up to it’s artistic purpose as a visual form if sound was involved as well. Some detracted it for practicality reasons as recording voices was a difficult proposition and, should the actors move about excessively, it would prove difficult to record their dialogue with any sort of uniform clarity. Perhaps any and all of these claims were simply made out of fear - a fear of the inevitable change that was staring them right in the face. One such man who garnered international fame during the era of silent films was Charlie Chaplin. It could be argued that he stood the most to lose from the advent of sound technology but, instead of shying away from it, he decided to embrace it (if somewhat hesitantly) in his first “sound” feature, Modern Times.
Modern Times tells the story of a character previously utilized by Chaplin, the Tramp, as a factory worker. His tedious employ, hard-nosed employer and general condition of his work one day drives him to a nervous breakdown, leading to his arrest. Through some good deeds performed by the Tramp he is able to leave with a reduced sentence but no current work. After a few more mishaps, he stumbles upon an orphaned young woman who is currently trying to avoid custody herself. Together they work to help each other on their given paths, trying to make ends meet however they can.
I’ve never seen a Charlie Chaplin film before this but was thoroughly entertained by it. The physical comedy in this plays out almost like a dance: carefully choreographed to extract as much comedy as possible from every scene and situation. Scenes that stand out for this reason are the Billows Feeding Machine, the cocaine/thwarted breakout attempt, the skating in the department store and the ballroom scene where the Tramp character is trying to deliver the roast duck. It is in moments like these that we see exactly why the films of Chaplin and the like appealed so wildly to mainstream audiences. Watching him run around, fall around, get pushed around and pop right back up with his trademark grin and waddle displays to the audience that it’s alright to laugh at him and, conversely, that it’s okay to laugh at yourself a little if you found yourself in a similar situation.
What’s more is the social message that Chaplin is able to convey right along side of his comedy. The theme of Modern Times is undoubtedly that of a changing and technologically advancing world and how those within it react to it. Chaplin was able to comment on this with regards to his own profession by having spoken dialogue come only from different machines throughout the film. The only voices heard are from the recording brought with the salesmen of the Billows Feeding Machine, over the radio when the Tramp is being held at the police station, and from the president of the company the Tramp works for at the beginning of the film whenever he appears on the video screens, making demands of his employees to increase production. Chaplin’s view of how the common man is seen in this new industrialized world is made clear right away in the film as well, as one of the first images on screen is a heard of sheep that disolves into a heard of people, all shuffling off supposedly to their places of employ - likely set to recieve similar treatment as that of his Tramp character.
This is a film that is still able to elicit more honest laughs than many comedies released today and completely stands the test of time. It’s funny, smart and has a very clear self-conscience about what it is and what it wants to say.
I give Modern Times 4 Billows Feeding Machines out of 5.
