USA 87m Dir: Charlie Chaplin Key Cast: Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin started making Modern Times as his first 'talkie' and you can tell as there's some dialogue in the early scenes. He soon changed his mind though and the dialogue vanishes to be replaced by caption cards. He felt, quite rightly, that his 'Little Tramp' character just wouldn't work with dialogue.
Like other Chaplin films, it's essentially a series of sketches drawn together with a narrative. Here that narrative is the Tramp and his new love Ellen "the Gamin" (Paulette Goddard) trying to survive in the modern industralised world. He struggles working in a factory, gets caught up in workers marches and strikes and finds himself in prison. It's a deeply political film, what many would describe as 'liberal'. It's clear what Chaplin's views on the modern world are and it's lampooned so well here. I think my favourite moment is when a machine is brought in which can feed factory workers their lunch so that production does not need to stop. The theme feels just as relevant now as it did in 1936.
The comedy side of things are as well constructed as ever. Chaplin knows how to make a scene funny as he Tramp literally bounces off other people at frenetic speed. There are scenes you can't help but be amazed at- how did Chaplin roller-skate with a blindfold on getting perilously close to a great height? Even if the height wasn't really there, it's still remarkable.
The scenes are made even better by some excellent set design with factories that look big and are full of machines covered in whirring cogs. In one moment Chaplin even goes into a cog machine and we see him be dragged through it- the set construction is utterly superb.
Like other Chaplin films there's real heart to this film. Ellen's father is killed early in the film, a detail that was unnecessary but makes her character work. There's no real will they/won't they between the Tramp and Ellen here- they quickly fall for each other but it's how they can afford to be together which is the challenge. There's a heart-breaking scene where the Tramp imagines a paradise where they are living together in a house with ample food and it cuts back to him miming cutting a steak. There's no real ending to the film either, no ultimate success or failure and we're left with the feeling that the Tramp and Ellen will spend their lives struggling to get by in much the same way as we've already seen, just like millions of people at the time and indeed now.
If I have a criticism it's the conflict between the fairly depressing story and the comedy of the film. I didn't find it as funny as City Lights- there's still plenty to laugh at and I really liked some scenes but on the whole I just felt the story blocked out the laughs.
An enjoyable film which is both a great slapstick Chaplin comedy and a one that lampoons the modern industrialised society we live in.
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