Govt. 490 - Summer 2009

The 1936 movie “Modern Times” with Charlie Chaplin reminds it’s viewers of how modern times have become. As a member of a generation that has no comprehension of the era that was portrayed in this movie I find that amidst our own modern times we take for granted the advancements we have made through time. To view an entire movie in black and white, with little dialogue, but what is shown, and special effects created by its characters, gives me a new appreciation for movies of my time. With the internet, video stores, and cable television making viewing entertainment at our fingertips it’s difficult to comprehend the satisfaction one may have received from “Modern Times” when it first debuted. Could a 1936 viewer have imagined the advancement in what is considered “modern”?
Even more impressive than the startling realization of how far we have come through technology is the fact that the moral of the story over many years remains the same. In a time when many people of my generation can understand hard times, and job loss or unavailability the movie “Modern Times” portrays a slap stick approach to the fears Americans face daily; “how will we survive?”, what will we do?”. The movie doesn’t stop with just addressing the problem, it also ensures that pursing through the difficulties will bring forth a “happy ending” even if it’s not the ending you had in mind. When things would look up for Charlie Chaplin, he would get knocked right back down, and not always by his own fault, but in the end as he is walking down the road onto the next adventure with his head held high and confidently (through on screen text speech) he says “buck up – never say die. We’ll get along!”. At a time when Americans want to give up, or try to calculate “what’s the use”, movies in the 30’s and today remind us that failure is only an option if you allow it.
On a lighter side the humor that Charlie Chaplin provides in “Modern Times” is an impressive act, to make an audience laugh with only the movement s of his body and the story it tells is an art lost with the invention of dialogue in movies.