Modern Times (1936)

black and white classic

Modern times. I saw this because it was chosen as one of the best of the century. Charlie Chaplin had a sort of magic with film and it shows in this one. September 26, 2008

A brilliant silent comedy

"Modern Times" is one of Charlie Chaplin's most memorable films. In this movie, the Tramp joins the ranks of the unemployed, and eventually teams up with a poor girl (Paulette Goddard) who's trying to make her way in the world. Like all Chaplin films, "Modern Times" features numerous slapstick routines that are just as funny today as they were 80 years ago when this film was made. This is one of the first Chaplin films that uses recorded sound effects and even some spoken dialogue in the form of a nonsense song, which was Chaplin's way of lashing out at talking motion pictures. Chaplin also composed the score to this movie, which includes "Smile," one of Chaplin's most famous songs. This is a truly fantastic film that people will continue to enjoy for many years to come. August 3, 2008

Chaplin's Best

This is the best film of Chaplin's that I watch many times over. You can't get any better than this. Love the button scene and the dept. store skating. Fantastic! July 27, 2008

Amazing.

Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin, 1936)

I've spent the past few decades assiduously overlooking old film comedies, mostly because of my dislike for the contemporary comedy shorts (the Three Stooges, the Little Rascals, et al.). I decided earlier this year that I was going to stop doing that; after all, they can't all be that bad. One of the earliest stops on this new journey of mine was Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin's 1936 extravaganza that makes it into critics' 100-best lists with almost alarming regularity.

The basic idea is that Chaplin, a factory worker, and Paulette Goddard, a homeless waif, team up after Chaplin gets laid off when the factory closes (it's the Depression, remember) and try to make their way in the world. This leads both through a succession of jobs (and a rickety homestead), as well as more than one brush with the law.

I know there's a great deal of social commentary to be found here; I've read more than enough articles on the film to have missed that. But my mind is a sieve, and I can't remember terribly much about those articles. What I found important, and enjoyable, about the film is that it's a wonderfully-choreographed piece, a remnant of the silent era in the age of talkies (there is very little actual speech in the film), and an excellent showcase for Chaplin's talent for physical comedy. Add to this the eye-popping beauty of Paulette Goddard, a pitch-perfect sense of pace, and an array of sets that rivals most of what gets turned out seventy years later, and you have the recipe for a truly classic film. And Modern Times surely is that. **** ½
June 26, 2007

Funny.

Good laughs. My favorite scene is that with the feeding machine. Even my boyfriend who hates old black and white movies was laughing out loud. Genius. April 10, 2007

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