Modern times, Margareta Santistevan

Modern Times was a very funny and very well-done film, especially for it's time. Chaplin is definitely a sucker for physical comedy. This film represents a lot of the hardships that were occurring during the industrial revolution. Chaplin is hustled from job to job to jail to job to jail to job again. He goes on to prove that even when hard times have fallen on America that even love can persist when he falls for a delinquent and promises her a wonderful life with him and a house.

Chaplin's ability to make the situation that he is portraying more appealing to our pathos makes him a great asset in "softening" a hard situation. In most of the film's that Charlie Chaplin is a main actor, there is a big modern situation being told again through humor with his aid.

The industrial revolution dehumanized the factory workers which is apparent with the feeding machine that Chaplin is used to make an example of. (The sheep metaphor shown at the beginning of the film becomes much clearer throughout the movie)

Charlie Chaplin makes this a silent film even though this was the start of "talkies". Perhaps that's because it is a medium that he is comfortable working in and knows he can portray what he wants in this fashion. The film is chock-full of "comments" about the working class and the business class. Since Charlie Chaplin came from a background of poverty and worked his way up to being able to produce movies, he has been through both classes and can make those kinds of remarks. The business class is lazy and likes their leisure time and making sure that the working class works hard and fast (they have to work by their lunch bells). The eye in the sky was on the workers the whole time, even in the bathroom!

It was strange to see who had voices in this film. It was the Boss, the dog, the tramp (in the end), the singing waiters and the media/entertainment. Chaplin gives a voice to authority and the media. The dog has a voice because it might just be WEIRD if the dog didn't bark. Charlie Chaplin made his messages very clear.

Another comedy icon who left us too soon.