Modern Times

            I have not seen a silent film since I was a kid and I loved it.  Modern Times is a film I knew nothing about even though I knew who Charlie Chaplin was. This film was an enjoyable way to end the first week of school. I really liked the humor this film presented. What made me laugh were the facial expressions of the characters and how they present their humor. One scene that became my favorite was the part when he was released from the hospital. As he walks around trying to avoid excitement, he notices a flag falls off the back of a truck in the middle of the street. He runs over picks up the flag and tries to wave the truck down. At that same moment a protest comes around the corner. He is unaware of the people that are coming up behind him as he continues to wave the flag around to get the drivers attention. The driver does not stop so he now marches down the street to do his best to return the flag. Now Chaplin unknowingly becomes the leader of the protest and continues to shout to try to get the drivers attention. A few second later, the police come and everyone scatters.  This was so funny to me and I could not stop laughing at this part. What made this funny for me was the character Chaplin played was unaware of the people behind him. He was just trying to return a flag and very serious about returning the flag. It is a simple kind of humor that this film presents. With that simple humor there really is no need for words.  We all need to smile or laugh especially when times are hard. During the 1930 The Great Depression filled people with troubled heartache. People were unemployed and most likely stressed. In class we have been discussing humor. Humor can relieve stress, bring a smile to our face, and lift our mood. People during the 1930’s needed to laugh. The film Modern Times clearly shows men working in factories, getting laid off, unemployment, and people struggling to survive. They needed a reason to smile and a reason to forget about the Great Depression or whatever situation they may have been in. When you watch a movie it is so that you can be entertained. This film I think helped relieve that stress and made the audience of the 1930’s laugh as well as future audiences. Charlie Chaplin starred in, wrote, directed, and scored the music for this film. A lot for one person and he did a great job putting this film together to put a smile on someone’s face.