Film Review: Modern Times (1936)

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 worker in futuristic factory where tyrannical boss (played by Al Ernest Garcia) insists on maintaining assembly line in a way that would lead Tramp to nervous breakdown. His subsequent attempts to find or maintain job keep landing him in prison, and, along the way he meets Ellen "the Gamin" (played by Paulette Goddard), female street urchin with whom he would fall in love and try to make a home for.

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 recognized 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, which 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, seeing the wrecking effect arrival of sound had on his silent era colleagues, 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 when Chaplin’s character gets mistaken for Communist agitator and thrown into jail gained prophetic character after actor became target of McCarthy-era witch hunts and had been deported from USA.

*Modern Times? was the first Chaplin film during which production 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 of 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 Chaplinb is excellent. The film's ending, with the Tramp and the Gamin walking off together, seems like the perfect way to end not only an important chapter of Chaplin's biography but an entire era of cinema.

Eagerly awaited by 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 one of the best films ever made. Despite 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 (+++)

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