MODERN TIMES REVIEW

Humour tends to diffuse the tension around sociological issues. It helps the audience
engage in feeling, thinking and speaking about the transition in the society that we live in. It
does a great job bringing controversial topics into non-controversial surrounding.
Sociological matters influence our life daily. Despite our non-biased opinions, self-reflection
and open mindedness, humour connects everyone in spite of our social differences.

Synopsis
The infamous portrayal of the ‘Tramp’ by Charles Chaplin has won the hearts of many over
the decades. Modern Times recounts the last appearance of the ‘Little Tramp’. He was
always very considerate to the social and economic issues of the day. On his world tour,
Charlie engaged with some of the most influential thinkers notably Mahatma Gandhi,
Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and Bernard Shaw. This provided him with the framework
for his subsequent movie.
Eve of the Great War brought about mass unemployment coinciding with industrial
mechanization in the United States. Set in the 1930’s, Modern Times resembles the
economic condition of our society even today. The movie unveils how the advancement in
technology can make humans virtually obsolete.
The movie revolves around the Little Tramp and the challenges faced by him in the midst of
Great Depression. Opening scene shows the supervisor commanding the machines to
operate speedily in turn making the workers weary and exhausted. The tramp was used as
guinea pig for testing a feeding machine i.e. a device envisioned for factory workers to
perform the tasks on the workstation throughout their lunch break saving precious time. A
nervous breakdown sends him to the sanatorium. The gullible tramp’s life would get even
more chaotic after his release. His misadventures commence as he innocently picks up a red
flag which lead him to be commander of the rally protesting against the police thereupon
getting arrested. Following a jailbreak and his pleasant behaviour, he is released from the
prison. Such tumultuous times during the Great Depression yearns him to go back. His
intention to return to jail changes as the gamine enters his life. Both of them yearn for
domestic life visualizing themselves in a small home in a suburban community. The tramp is
employed as the night guard in a department store only to get arrested again. Meanwhile,
the gamine is hired as a dancer by a café-owner. Upon his release, Tramp discovers that the
gamine has found a shanty shack for their shelter. Gamine persuades the café-owner to
employ the Tramp as a singing-waiter. Despite the Tramp’s zero coordination tending to
tables, his singing abilities eventually save the day. The juvenile-care authorities follow the
gamine to detain her forcing both to flee from their jobs. They walk towards the horizon for
other adventures to come.
Instances depicting industrialisation

 Charlie illustrates the struggle of the middle working class in America. The supervisor
demands the machines to operate faster without considering such effects on the
mental and physical health of his factory workers. This approach has led to the point
wherein the Tramp’s arms can’t stop screwing nuts. Even after being separated from
the conveyor belt, his arms won’t stop that movement. Afterward, he is absorbed
into the machine showing that he is literally trapped in the mechanization of the
modern society. This portrays how modernism has breached the subconscious
behaviours of workers and that work can no longer be limited to the workplace.
 Charlie’s time in prison reveals the dreadful experience of the working class
compared to the prisoners. Outside the prison, individuals are hungry and
unemployed.
 The first scene exhibits a clock pointing at 6 hours when majority of working
individuals wake up for getting to the factory. The factory workers are compared to a
herd of sheep as they are time-bound. Charlie stands out in this herd of sheep as he
is seen wearing black clothes among other men who have worn white clothes. This
represents his unique attributes that will bring disorder in the factory.
 Prime objective of the feeding machine was to maximise the working hours of the
already fatigued workers. Despite the machine malfunctioning on the first trial,
Tramp is strapped to the machine solely for the salespeople to increase their profits.
The supervisor ultimately declines the offer merely due to its impracticality and not
because of its potential harmfulness to the workers.