MODERN TIMES

Many films are described as eternal, yet despite their immortality, they fail to attract spectators. They have a half-life in film society revivals and appear on the late program every now and then. Everyone agrees that they're masterpieces, however, the term "classic" has been widely overused in the context of movies. It's been used so widely that the only thing you can be sure of regarding a "film classic" is that it's not currently in theatres. 

One of Charlie Chaplin's many outstanding qualities is that his films continue to captivate and amaze audiences. Modern Times is a silent American comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin and written by him, wherein his famous Little Tramp character fights to live in the modern, industrialized world. The video is a commentary on many people's poor jobs and financial situations during the Great Depression. Charlie Chaplin played a guy at odds with contemporary technology in the film. It is considered the final great silent picture. During a promotional trip for City Lights in Europe, Chaplin was inspired to write Modern Times by the continent's deplorable conditions during the Great Depression, as well as a talk with Mahatma Gandhi about modern technology. Like City Lights, Modern Times was released as a sound picture with only the recorded music and occasional sound effects The various themes of the movie are Man vs Machine, unemployment, poverty, crime, technology, efficiency, class, divisions and hunger, and workers' rights. 

The film, set during the Great Depression, follows an unlucky factory worker who experiences a nervous breakdown while attempting to deal with the modern equipment he must handle. He is released after being institutionalized, only to be mistaken for a communist activist. Charlie is practically trapped in the machine in the film, and is beaten and pushed and pulled by an automatic feeding mechanism, introduced by his superiors to save time and money, in one of his greatest hilarious moments. He gets arrested after being cured of his breakdown when he picks up a red flag that has fallen off the back of a lorry and rushes down the street to return it, just as a left-wing demonstration is approaching. In the rear of the police vehicle, he encounters 'The Gamine,' who has also been detained for stealing bread. From there, the story revolves on two ordinary people attempting to make ends meet in current times.

Modern Times may be more relevant now than it was when it was originally released. The film's twentieth-century theme—the battle to avoid alienation and preserve humanity in a contemporary, automated world—deeply echoes concerns confronting the twenty-first century. The Tramp's adventures in Modern Times, as well as the resulting humorous mayhem, should bring strength and solace to everyone who feels like powerless cogs in a world beyond their control. Modern Times is one of Chaplin's best and most enduring films, because of its universal themes and humorous originality. Perhaps more importantly, it's the Tramp's ending, which pays homage to Chaplin's most famous character and the silent-film period that he ruled for a generation.