Seb's Web

Charlie Chaplin’s last movie as “The Tramp” is a tour de force of movie-making. Chaplin directed, wrote, produced, edited and, of course, was the main character of this magnificent story, a classic in every sense of the word. Not only is it part silent and part talkie, straddling the border between the old and the new age of film, it manages to also ride the line between the old age of the Industrial Era and the Modern era.

Usually, if an art piece tries to do too many things at once it fails on all fronts, but Chaplin manages to juggle many subjects at once. Modern Times is a satirical piece on the hardships of the factories, the lasting effect of the Great Depression, the alienation the people of the era experience and the apparent chaos the late 30s are bringing. This is all wrapped up in a beautiful love story, with the movie continuing to parallel the real world by having Paulette Godard (Chaplin’s real life partner) as the Tramp’s love interest. In the end, it’s also a farewell to the silent era and to the character of The Tramp, both going off towards the sunset (metaphorically, as The Tramp runs off towards the sunrise) to face an uncertain and certainly brilliant future.

It’s dated only in the sense that it’s about 90 years old so it might not be as enjoyable for some modern viewers, but if you go into it with the right attitude you’ll enjoy it immensely. A modern 8 stars from me.