Justin A.

Catalan BSM III

ANALYSIS ON CHARLIE CHAPLINS MODERN TIMES

Charlie Chaplin has indeed made a mark in the field of entertainment as a
comedian who portrays a unique approach to acting. His films were not only hailed
because of its funny substance but also because they were coupled with a little hint
of satire. His movie Modern Times was one of the most successful comedy film he
made and it garnered several acclaims from different movie critics. Modern Times
encompasses the struggles of man in a constantly developing industry. Chaplin did
not only decide to make a factory as the setting for the film because he wants to,
but rather because theres a particular kind of element in making a satire out of the
lapses of the industry towards men. This paper will try to analyze the movie in the
context of man as part of industrialization. This may also contain some analysis on
the point of view of Chaplin as the film director and as somebody who had personal
experiences in the interaction of society and the economy.
Chaplins overwhelming concern in the earlier part of the movie is the
struggle and tyranny of technology and society, how humanity is forced to fit
around and within the machines and institutions endemic in modern society. The
scene which took place in a factory in which all workers were monitored and
overseen by monitors was a good depiction of the ensnaring and enslavement of
technology towards man. Humans were confined to a situation and pace that only
machines could work with. The scene where Charlie had an accident in one of the
gears of a factory equipment had me thinking of a meaning to that particular scene-
that man is slowly being swallowed by the inhuman pace of industry and because
we cannot cope with it, we oftentimes make mistakes which are in nature, part of
our humanity. Its the funny and comical gestures of Chaplin that made the setting
alive. Its his human side, which in his case, were his clumsiness and imperfection
that made the industry more human.
Charlie Chaplins concerns are humanity and its existence within a world
where middle-class citizens are dehumanized by the surrounding industrialization.
An article from deepfocusreview.com said that When he (Chaplin) returned to
Hollywood after a yearlong hiatus in 1932, he was taken aback by the tyranny of
the machine and the dwindled economic status of Depression-era America. He
blamed those who constructed machines for solely profit-making purposes rather
than improving the lives of ordinary citizens. From this fact, we can derive that the
movie was based on the great depression in America. The movie questioned
massive factories producing cheaper product faster when the process drives
workers to the unemployment office; should this happen, no one would be able to
afford the consumer products being built.
In the latter half of the film, the mood changed from something that was
focused on industrialization, to the context of human emotion- as portrayed by the
love affair of Chaplin and the lady in the movie. Chaplin resolves that humanity
thrives by human interaction, not through application of technology. Chaplin and the
lady in the movie are like children, free of responsibility, while adults remain
mindless and controlled automatons. They were the break between a busy world
and the concern for self-attention. They are bonds of deep friendship and
togetherness.
Justin A. Catalan BSM III

To cap it off, Chaplins scenes and narratives developed from a process of

improvisation. His genius was bringing these scenes together into a cohesive story,
but more than that, making his story as touching and joyful as they often played out
to be.