Modern Times (1936)

Modern Times (1936)

8/10

Starring
Charlie Chaplin


Directed by Charlie Chaplin

Modern Times is Chaplin’s take on the desperate employment and financial conditions people faced during the Great Depression, which hit the world in the 1930s and lasted until the late 1930s or mid-1940s. Charlie Chaplin took the depression and the problems it caused and found a way to make you laugh it off. Modern Times is an addition to the classic movies of the last 100 years, standing out as an extremely funny movie that you have to see before you leave this earth.

Modern Times is a movie from 1936 that depicts Chaplin’s take on the modern world and what industrialization brought with it. Set during the Great Depression era, the movie’s plot follows the Tramp as he copes with the depression, alongside an orphan girl who is also struggling with its effects.

Our Tramp even discovers that life in jail is better than life outside.

Chaplin had long been against “talkies,” and his last film before this, City Lights (1931), was a silent film. He began preparing for Modern Times in 1934, and it was supposed to be his first "talkie." However, he later abandoned the idea because he felt the world wasn’t ready to hear the Tramp talk.

The movie does have some dialogue, but it’s mostly found in the early scenes. Soon after, the film returns to the silent genre. Near the ending, there’s a scene where Chaplin’s Tramp has to sing to keep his job. This scene marks the first time Chaplin’s voice is heard in any movie. The song he sings (known as The Nonsense Song) is Léo Daniderff's comical song Je cherche après Titine. This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, as Chaplin’s version of the song is all gibberish, with lyrics being a mix of French and Italian words in a nonsensical way. Yet, his comical gestures tell the story of what he actually meant.

The movie’s opening scene shows the Tramp in a factory, struggling to keep up with the speed of production. This scene has been referenced by many filmmakers, including Disney, and even the sitcom I Love Lucy used the idea.

Modern Times is my second favorite Chaplin movie after City Lights, and the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) ranked it 78th on its list of 100. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t experience one of Chaplin’s best films out there, so find it and watch it.