Modern Times

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Ali Stevenson I love Modern Times so much I came back for the second showing! See my earlier post. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/20/21 Full Review William B One of the best movies of the iconic Chaplin. A movie that definitely ages very well. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/22/24 Full Review 현우 지 The most beautiful movie Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/29/24 Full Review Viviana A I really enjoyed this film. I thought it was funny but also thought-provoking at the same time, and I think it’s still so relevant today despite being from 1936, it being about a character as he struggles to adapt to the modern, industrialized world. There is a mix of comedy with some social commentary. It was entertaining to see Chaplin manage to make you laugh while also making you think about the challenges of a working class life. I enjoyed how the director and star Charlie Chaplin used the setting to tell the story and show the times around industrialization. The camera work in Modern Times is also fascinating to watch especially in the factory scenes. I think the use of visual gags is great, and he uses the camera to emphasize the craziness of the situations that he finds himself in, like when he gets caught in the gears of the machine. It’s clever and entertaining. Obviously Chaplin’s performance was amazing, he has the ability to express so much without speaking, only using just his physical comedy and facial expressions to get across. There was incredible direction, great gags, and it’s a film that still countries to entertain. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/12/24 Full Review Eliza B “Modern Times” was surprisingly enjoyable and relatable. Chaplin’s performance and use of slapstick comedy as a vehicle for social critique makes this film visually appealing and surprisingly relevant to modern audiences. This was the first of Chaplin’s films that I have seen and, especially for a silent film made in 1936, it holds up very well. The story is easy to follow, the characters are relatable, and many of the jokes stand the test of time. Chaplin’s performance is engaging and humorous, an essential requirement for a silent film, especially a silent comedy. Many of the set pieces are technologically innovative such as the roller skating scene and the illusion of danger it provides as well as the automatic worker feeding machine. One of the aspects of the film that I enjoy the most is how innocent the main character is in everything he does, a victim of capitalism and industrialization, he is simply trying his hardest within the system he lives in. He has a mishap at every corner and, despite ending up homeless, the film makes it clear that the problem isn’t with the character but with society and industrialization in that time period. One of the flaws of the film is that it does seem a little piecemeal, while the gags and visuals are engaging, the plot has some holes and isn’t entirely cohesive. In spite of this, the film has a lot to say about capitalism, the monotony of factory work, the frustration with automation (especially of things that don’t need automation), and the enduring human spirit in spite of challenges. This film is entertaining, engaging, technologically innovative and all around a good watch. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/21/24 Full Review Yeet 1 Overall I liked Modern Times as a film. I think that the way that it covered what being a factory worker during the great depression was extremely unique in the way that they showed how competitive the job market was. Which is sort of similar to the times we live into today where the job market can be extremely competitive. Which ties one of my favorite scenes in the film which is the labor protest to our modern day with our recent union and guild strikes in Hollywood. Which shows that the film is still relevant to the modern times we live in because we live in a time that is very similar to the great depression in the way that new technologies like AI are causing rapid change and upheaval in many industries and threatening the entire existence of many others. Which is making available jobs more sparse like in the great depression. Not to mention housing is an issue for many now much like how the Tramp and Gamin are forced to live in a shack because other housing is unobtainable to them due to their financial situation. Not to mention food is extremely expensive for most people in society today. Which is very similar to how Gamin has to steal food in order to eat. The gap between the poor and the rich today is very similar to the times portrayed in Modern Times. Where the rich are extremely rich and the poor are extremely poor which reminds us about how relevant old films can be to our current times. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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