Charles Chaplin was one of the most successful filmmakers to bridge the gap between the silent and sound film eras. Aware that his iconic Tramp character could only work his screen magic without spoken words, Chaplin postponed the transition to sound films as long as possible. After delivering the surprise silent hit City Lights in the era of "talkies," he waited five years before finally retiring the Tramp in Modern Times, one of his most popular and celebrated films.
The plot begins with the Tramp as a worker in a futuristic factory where a tyrannical boss (played by Al Ernest Garcia) insists on maintaining an assembly line in a way that would lead the Tramp to a nervous breakdown. His subsequent attempts to find or maintain a job keep landing him in prison, and along the way, he meets Ellen "the Gamin" (played by Paulette Goddard), a female street urchin with whom he falls in love and tries to make a home.
While Modern Times is not a silent film in the strictest sense, it still relies heavily on Chaplin's silent-era formula of sentimentality and physical humour. The film features a famous musical score composed by Chaplin himself, which later became one of the most recognisable and popular in cinema history, with the "Smile" theme being covered by numerous singers like Nat King Cole. Additionally, the audience is treated to the rare opportunity of hearing Chaplin sing a gibberish song near the end of the film, though the movie is still recognised as Chaplin's last silent film.
Modern Times attracted significant attention because Chaplin, for the first time, expressed—or was perceived to express—a political message that was recognised as left-wing. The film was inspired by a conversation Chaplin had with Mahatma Gandhi and is often seen as a critique of modern industry and technology, which Chaplin viewed as dangerous, especially when it benefits the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary workers. The film's release during the Great Depression resonated with impoverished masses, and Chaplin's anti-capitalist views began to be seen as those of a left-wing radical by the Powers That Be. The scene where Chaplin’s character is mistaken for a Communist agitator and thrown into jail gained prophetic significance after he became a target of McCarthy-era witch hunts and was deported from the USA.
Modern Times was the first Chaplin film during the production of which he had to deal with the strict censorship of the MPAA Production Code. Although Chaplin had to remove a few problematic scenes from the script, one depicting the Tramp accidentally consuming what appears to be cocaine and acting accordingly was allowed to pass through the censors, despite the explicit prohibition against depicting illicit drug use.
Chaplin's talents as an actor are well matched by those of Paulette Goddard, his girlfriend and future wife. She shines as the street urchin, and her on-screen chemistry with Chaplin is excellent. The film's ending, with the Tramp and the Gamin walking off together, seems like the perfect way to conclude not only an important chapter of Chaplin's biography but also an entire era of cinema.
Eagerly awaited by both the public and critics alike, Modern Times became a box office success and later earned a reputation as not only one of Chaplin's best films but also one of the best films ever made. Despite its relatively weak plot, the film's blend of sentimentality, physical comedy, and social commentary—combined with Chaplin's innovative approach to sound—solidified its place as a cinematic masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences to this day.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog @drax.leo
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9
Posted using CineTV
