Art History and Film Studies - Movie Review Example

Art History and Film Studies Order No. 661326 ‘Modern Times’ (Chaplin, 1936) is a profound film that is considered to be one of the greatest satirical comedies of its time. It comprises of a thin narrative voice- over, interspersed with industrial sounds but yet it is taken to be for the most part, a silent comedy which was Chaplin’s last. Though the film is tonally complex, it incorporates comedic sketches that help to bring out the underlying emotions and messages in a subtle but at times blatant manner. ‘Modern Times’ has Chaplin as its central character who depicts the plight of a simple man, who struggles for survival in a poverty stricken economy. The main theme of this narrative is about an individual who strives hard to reconcile himself with the way his life unfolds. Chaplin, who is the chief protagonist, is shown to pursue many jobs between his going in and out of prison. The precariousness of his life both as a human being and as a worker are well balanced and brought out and this is what revolves around the theme adding a humane touch to it. The fight for survival in this narrative ‘Modern Times’ is the theme I have chosen to discuss in this essay. Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times’ has many striking and inventive scenes that highlight the struggles of the common man against the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. The movie portrays the poor employment situation of workers during the age of technological advancement. The first shot that the viewers get to see is that of a clock which is symbolic of the mechanical measurement of time. People were constantly living under the tyranny of the dictatorial clock. The workers in the factories always were under pressure to keep pace with time. In the opening scene of the movie the tone of the theme is set. We see a flock of sheep rushing through the chute. The next instant the sheep are transformed into industrial workers pushing and shoving out of a subway station. There was a single black sheep and it stood for the protagonist who was the outsider, the misfit who stood out due to his individuality. The large factories had assembly lines to produce goods in ever increasing numbers. Most of the middle class workers were absorbed in these enterprises where they were made to work at the assembly line. Working at these factories led to the loss of individuality. The workers become mere cogs in the wheels of the economy. The humans were expected to work like machines. All their movements were monitored by the floor supervisors. The workers were expending their energy in doing mechanical work which made them passive. The individuality of the humans was subordinated to the efficiency of the machines. There are many scenes in this film that depicts Chaplin’s struggle for survival in a battered economy. The very first thing that strikes a viewer is Charlie’s oversized baggy pants which makes it clear that he just can never fit in with the normal regular crowd and is looked upon as somewhat of an outcast in society. In most of his films Chaplin is shown to be chasing an elusive American Dream, but it is one that never comes to reality for him. Though he is shown to work hard without any dignity of labor, yet he is one individual that never gets to fulfill this dream. The factory scene in ‘Modern Times’ is a hilarious scene that brings out the message of how derogatory human life is by the importance given to speedy production in a jam packed factory. I chose to discuss this scene because it reflects the miserable and poverty stricken life Chaplin is forced to lead just for the sake of survival. In this scene, Chaplin is seen in shabby overalls that are baggy as usual. He is one among the many workers in the factory and is all the time supervised and driven to work faster by supervisors who make the lives of all the workers more miserable than what is necessary. These unfortunate workers have to listen to every whim and fancy of their superiors and if they do not do so, they are manhandled and forced to comply. According to them, production should be carried out without any waste of time. In fact, the workers hardly have any time to eat their food. The frenzied activity in association with all the machines, makes them lose their own identity and robs them of the niceties of life. Mechanization has served to turn man into machines as well. Continuous production is their target and they will not accept anything short of that. The scene continues to show the workers rushing to have their food in the few precious minutes given to them. Chaplin is shown sitting at the table but has not brought his food. Meanwhile, in the manager’s cabin there is a special display of a new feeding instrument with an animated explanation being given by a man. He explains that this machine would feed the worker even while he is at work so that time is not wasted and production would be carried on even while eating. To demonstrate the usefulness of this instrument, the group moves to where the workers are having their food in order to check it out. The person chosen for this purpose is Chaplin and it was rather hilarious to see how he copes with it. The workers do not have a say in any matters that take place in the factory. In fact, we could say that they are just puppets in the hands of their superiors, to do as they will with them. This can clearly be seen in this part of the scene as Charlie’s permission is not even considered and he is seen going through the entire eating process while everyone watch him. Though the entire scene is hilarious, yet, it invokes a kind of disgust towards the authorities for treating humans like puppets just to meet their ends. Humans have no voice in a mechanized world and this is what is the instigating factor to stir the audiences. Though Chaplin’s antics do not fail to enthrall us with laughter, yet the scene is filled with melancholy, to see more preference given to machines than to human beings. In the movie we are shown that industry owners gave no thought whatsoever to the welfare of the employees. Instead they were on the look out to increase production even if it meant denying the workers their mealtime break. One of the novel ideas presented to the owner of the factory where the Tramp worked was to invest in automatic feeding machines which would eliminate the need for a lunch recess and thereby result in increasing production. Doing away with the lunch break would result in the lack of interaction between workers and a breakdown of the social fabric that bound workers working in the same premises. The workers do the same repetitive work as long as they are in the factories. This act of repetition highlights the loss of individuality. The monotony in the work was such that it not only led to a loss of individuality but also contributed to the nervous mental state of the workers. Charlie Chaplin too suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of the work he had to put up with on the factory floor. The modern workplace is depicted as an unhealthy centre which was at odds with the natural constitution of human beings. The running clock looming over the workers, the rushed pace of production and the mindlessly monotonous work contribute to the long term damages to the physical and mental health of the employees. Chaplin’s individuality at the factory floor is seen at odds with the prescribed and accepted notion of rationality. It is perceived to be a threat to the mechanized system. ‘Modern Times’ was shot during the time of industrialization and the harsh reality of its workers is strikingly narrated by Chaplin who has scripted, directed and set the music for it. This movie not only acts as a critique to the era of industrialization, but it also represents itself as a social commentary that served to alienate people from the world of reality by making them work like robots for little or no pay. Chaplin’s movie ‘Modern Times’ is highly commendable not so much for its laughing quotient but more for the strong messages of human degradation it sends out to its audiences. According to me I would say that Chaplin had taken a big risk in bringing out into the open all the activities and atrocities faced by the factory workers in a dehumanized industrialized world. I appreciate this movie a lot not only for being so hilarious but also for the truthful depiction of its priorities.   References Factory scene from Modern Times www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReDRHDYhk8 Filmsite Movie Review: Modern Times (1936) http://www.filmsite.org/mode.html Mikelle, Chaplin’s Modern Times, The Art of Charlie Chaplin: An Analysis http://tags.library.upenn.edu/project/35395 Movie Analysis: Themes within the movies of Charlie Chaplin http://www.helium.com/items/1451627-charlie-chaplins-modern-times?page=2 Modern Times http://faculty.frostburg.edu/phil/forum/ModernTimes.htm Read More