Modern Times

Chaplin's genius may be unmatched to this day and this film is certainly a candidate for his greatest work ever. As usual he mixes drama with comedy and romance and social commentary to create a brilliant work of art that holds up well even when compared with the very best films made today.

🍅 8.4/10 Genuinely jumped when they first started talking. but for the story, it makes even more sense, and it’s actually really smart so is with the rest of the film. I honestly really enjoyed it.

Modern Times is an interesting film that is highly enjoyable, and funny. You start off by having Charlie Chaplin (Little Tramp) throughout the factory doing his ‘work,’ then following him throughout the film to find a suitable job. This film is one of a lifetime pieces. To think a silent film like this can create such laughter by only seeing the main character doing nothing but being clumsy and missing somewhat common sense. To belief Charlie Chaplin not only wrote, produced, directed and starred in this film is fully inspirational. One has to see this film to fully understand the full love this film rejoices. Not only because of the plot, but because of the amazing acting, and stunts produced within the film. It's just remarkable to see how such a small man can have so much talent to make a whole audience laugh and enjoy an experience like this. This being my first Charlie Chaplin film to ever see, I fully understand why it is loved so much, because I fell in love with it the first time I saw it as well. Overall, I fully encourage plenty of people to see this film with a group of other people who may have also not seen it. You'll laugh, and fall in love with the characters. You'll not only immerse yourself in the time period that this film takes place in, but you'll be immersed into the world of Charlie Chaplin.

Modern Times was a great film when looking back at where it all started. This film, while almost a hundred years old, feels in a lot of ways like its brand new. The main character of the tramp is one that is still known to this day. His role in the film helps take the audience on a wild adventure that not only gives laughs and wacky moments, but touches on real world issues that speak to people even today. Chaplin's ability to act out crazy scenes and entertain an audience for as long as he does says a lot. The film looks great and the set of the factory is so impressive for its time. Overall I enjoyed this film. Most silent films from the 30's can leave a bad taste in my mouth but this one really entertained me. I especially enjoyed the subject matter that the film offers and it opens the room up for conversation that most other silent films wouldn't do. I would higly recommend watching this film.

I’m not a gigantic fan of silent films but an exception is always drawn when it comes to Charlie Chaplin, a true genius. I absolutely enjoyed this film and would definitely recommend it to many people, it is worthy of many watches and it was really entertaining. One observation I spotted is in regards to the year it was released, released during the transition of silent to sound, this might just have been one of the last great silent films made, making this even more of a special film to watch. Undoubtedly, my favorite scene from the film is the scene in the prison where he beats up the prisoners trying to escape and attack the guards all by himself after one of them got busted for sneaking something in, in a hilarious scene Chaplin's character sees the product and eats it with his food, his eyes become so wide after every bite it made me laugh every time. After that, you see Chaplin basically act all chaotic after consuming this, he fools around before not entering his cell, after that the prisoners come in and lock the officers up but Charlie saves the day in a three on one brawl, entertaining stuff. Charlie’s rewarded with immediate freedoms but he denies it as he likes the prison. I also really love the addition of Paulette Goddard’s character, she’s essential to the plot, when we first see her you can just tell how much of a tough and resilient character she is. I adored the relationship between the two as they embark on a journey despite all their setbacks, clearly in love with one another. They’d do anything for each other, she finds a beat up house while he was locked up and makes it their home, she also gets him a job at the club she performs at. Whilst Chaplin’s character helps her when they encounter each other, he takes credit for stealing the bread she stole, and he also sneaks her into his first day on the job of looking out for the mall during the night, letting her sleep comfortably. Overall, great stuff from Chaplin.

Modern Times (Writ./Dir. Charlie Chaplin, 1936) is a silent comedy that follows the life of a factory worker and his struggles to maintain an income. Later in the film he befriends an orphaned girl who accompanies him on the rest of his journey and through a constant cycle of getting hired, then getting fired, and even making it to jail. When you take an initial look at the story and just from hearing its basic form, modern audiences could even empathize with these characters given the state of the current economy. Furthermore some scenes fuel the empathy we feel, for example, an instance in which the pair find a home but it is a very run down sort of cabin. Even though they have found a place of which the conditions are questionable, they feel as though this was the long awaited home they’ve longed for. What doesn’t make this film feel as depressing as it sounds is the comedic aspect. In my opinion, the film relies too heavily on this to the point that the main character becomes frustrating. It’s essentially a comedy with no structure and a continuous cycle of the protagonist not knowing how to handle his obstacles. There is a specific scene towards the end of the film in which the protagonist gets hired as a waiter at a cafe and he has to serve a roast duck to a client who has been waiting for a while. However everyone in the place takes to the dance floor and our main character fails to serve the roast duck about 3 times and ultimately ends up losing the duck when the floor clears. This might just not be my type of comedy and I would warn anyone with similar dislikes from watching this film.

One of the best movies of the iconic Chaplin. A movie that definitely ages very well.

The most beautiful movie

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.

“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.