The Modern Times

The Modern Times

'The Modern Times' is an anti-capitalist movie directed by Charlie chaplin and chaplin himself has performed main role in this. Many actors have imitated Chaplin's style.Indian actor Rajkapur  copied not only Chaplin's style but also  had  insight of Chaplin's life. 

One might say, this is one of the best silent and comedy films among Chaplin’s all movies. You might have also watched some of the forwarded comedy clips from this film but without any particular discourse and it looks very much comedic, but actually it is unbearable agony of the self. If reflects the unbearable and awful tragedy of our day to day life.

This presentation will help in uncovering some of the interesting films.

Flea is more free than man. Only moderator can hit something or can kill someone.

 

Wheel is a symbol of motion.

 There motions are itself in the control but the people are forced to be.

 

Food machine

Machines are only made up from upper or ‘so called’ civilized people.

Upper class people time and again makes machines which they cannot control.

 Who has to be victim?

Who is responsible for harm?

 

If they wished,

They can choose between machines and people, but they choose machine!

Keep on pressing as if there is also a kind of machine.

Are we being evolving or programming!!

 

This is one of the best frames we can have from this movie. Working class or poor class can never ask direct questions to industrialists. Even if they try to come up with questions, they might not heard as they need to be. So, Chaplin comes up with inverted question mark as representative of working class and comedy emerges!

 

Throughout the whole film clock and wheels plays very significant role. So, as clock is symbol everywhere in this film and is there a kind of frames where no clock, it also becomes very interesting to study. Having no clock symbolises freedom and no monitoring.

 

Here, Chaplin wants us to focus on headlines. Of course era plays very significant role that how it is being shown. Another perception can also be seen as riots and strikes remains behind the cells. The symbol of lock suggest that it can not be unlock from inside and lower or working class can not come out of this.

Movie also shows us police and prison system of that time and now-a-days also as there is no any kind of difference at all.we can find "ડંડા investigation" there also and at present time also. Chaplin shows mall culture of present time which we can find this in this movie.(100 years back also). 

Another major notable matter is that though there is starvation, though they are ready to do hard work they are homeless, jobless but for women doesn't need about worry of sexual exploitation are not there. Chaplin doesn't focus on woman's body as object that it's upon us that how we mirror.

Big wheels walks slow and small wheels walks fast.

Constant try to manage

  No smile yet they are smiling.

Going without any hope.

 Going with uncertain hope which shows ultimately they are going towards the mountain or can say stones itself.

 

 

This symbol is very comic and heart rendering. One wants to be very serious for his work but unable to do. So, this symbolises helplessness or great regreat of constant try to be punctual.

Thus, there is struggle of life in capitalist. It reflects struggle throughout the whole movie and with end also this struggle doesn't get end. But movie ends with hope and dawn.here, we may put here that pessimistic hope is better than hopeless optimism.

Thank You.