Modern Times

Today we watched Modern Times, and I must admit, I enjoyed it. I've seen Chaplin's earlier work, so expected to enjoy it, but not this much.

Although there is close to no dialogue in the film ,aside from the boss in the factory, its absence goes unnoticed. The music, body language and facial expressions of the actors express the emotion and feel of the scenes the director is trying to show. The music is the biggest help when identifying what mood or atmosphere the scenes is meant to have. For example the scene where they’re in the mall, and Chaplin is skating around the room, it is a happy, and positive moment., and after evading the police and on the street, the scene is one of sadness, and hopelessness. The factory work scene is an another example where the fast music goes with the fast pace of the workers and reflect the sudden industrial boost. 

The film also challenged the industrial and technological advancements of the time, and its negative fallout of those, on the working class men and families. Big companies were investing and bringing in machinery that could go 20 hours a day without stop for rest or food, and besides the initial buying cost, maintenance and electricity, worked for free. Ordinary men taught to do one specific job in a process that involved 100 different components, couldn’t compete, and knowing only how to do do one specific job for their entire life, had no possibility of finding decent paying work elsewhere. A problem that is still faced today, constant and larger advancements in technology, are creating machines that can do the jobs of dozens of men in less time, with lesser costs and larger profit. This film is a warning to the public to be aware of the dangers these seemingly incredible wonders have on all our lives.