Modern Times (1936)

About Modern Times

Modern Times is an American silent comedy film that provides a satirical take on the dehumanizing nature of the industrialized workforce. This Charlie Chaplin classic follows a factory worker who is driven to madness by the mundane and repetitive nature of his job.

In the movie, Chaplin's character, the Tramp, shuffles through a series of jobs including a factory worker, night watchman, and finally, a singing waiter. Meanwhile, he befriends a homeless girl (Paulette Goddard) who becomes his companion. Their journey together depicts the major societal shifts and the struggle for survival during the Great Depression.

Making / Production

Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times was created at one of the peak periods of the Hollywood studio system. The usage of assembly line setups, machinery and industrial themes was fairly new and visually dramatic in the 1930s cinema. The unorthodox scenes, the final speech, and the overall story were largely Chaplin's original scripts and ideas.

Actors

• Charlie Chaplin as a factory worker. Chaplin's tramp character provided a perfect representation of the common man struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world.
• Paulette Goddard as a gamin. Goddard's character added a new dimension to the film, providing the Tramp with a companion and giving the audience an emotional connection to the plight of the homeless during the Great Depression.
• Henry Bergman as a café proprietor. Bergman's character gave depth to the story, providing the tramp with an opportunity to find joy in his unpredictable life.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Modern Times was the last film in which Chaplin's character "the Tramp" appeared.
• The original title of the film was The Masses.
• It was one of the first films to feature sound effects and music, but no spoken dialogue.

Awards

In 1989, Modern Times was one of the early films selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Quotes

• "You can see now?" - The Tramp
• "Yes, I can see now." - Gamin

Music and Soundtrack

• The film's music score was composed by Chaplin himself, which included the famous song 'Smile'.
• Although the movie had no dialogue, it was filled with sound effects: whirring machines, blowing whistles, etc.
• The film's iconic ending tune 'Smile' has since been covered by numerous artists and remains a classic.