Classic Film Kid: Modern Times (1936)(Review)

Hello everyone, welcome to another review from the Classic Film Kid! Today we are travelling back to the 1930s and covering Modern Times – one of the most iconic films written by, directed and starring the legendary Charlie Chaplin. This silent film explores his iconic Little Tramp character navigating his way through Great Depression-era America, going through several jobs and arrests, and falling in love with a young woman named Ellen as they run from the law.

This film is discussed regularly among the pantheon of greatest films ever made, especially in the silent era, and Charlie Chaplin is widely revered as an auteur of filmmaking and cinematic storytelling, so you can bet I was interested to check this one out. 

Normally the purpose of these articles is to find out whether films like this hold up as great cinema and while that can vary depending on what I’m covering, it should really go without saying this is a classic. Being a silent film made in a time when talkies were becoming more and more common, this could’ve aged quite badly. Instead, it’s a pinnacle of the narrative heights that silent cinema could reach and it flows impressively well. 

The Tramp is one of Chaplin’s most iconic characters and personas, appearing in many iconic shorts before this, however, this was the final time the character appeared on screen and this is a great sendoff. While the film does have a surprisingly strong and coherent story throughout, many scenes work on their own as five-minute sketches exploring how this character interacts with others in a variety of environments e.g during a prison breakout, in a department store, and in a cafe. It’s these setpieces where the film shines the most – Chaplin was one of the best comics of the 20th century and the timing is impeccable, with many visual gags and shots that bring a smile to your face.

As I said before, however, while individually these scenes are phenomenal it’s really impressive how well these scenes flow into each other, and it’s all tied together with the themes of surviving in 1930s America. As a History student, there were many things here that I picked up on, for example, the prevalence of working in factories and shipyards, poor treatment of the working class by their bosses, and the fears of Communism. The last one also contributes to one of the film’s best gags, where Chaplin’s Tramp is walking down the street while a huge amount of protesting workers come up behind him, making it look as if he is the leader of the march. 

There are also more serious moments contained within the film, especially with Paulette Goddard as Ellen. Her character’s backstory is brilliantly conveyed through visuals, as her sisters are taken away and put into care leaving her to fend for herself. It’s clear that Chaplin had his heart, as well as his political leanings, on his sleeve when making this film as there is a surprising amount of pathos that fits naturally into the flow of the story – you’d think these moments of emotional desperation would make the film feel disjointed and needlessly disrupt the jokes and set-pieces, but it’s remarkably balanced and well-paced.

Where I think the film shines best is in the details: the only bits of spoken dialogue are said at the beginning, by the boss of the factory that the Tramp works in. You don’t really have to interpret this scene in any way but you can immediately draw up some conclusions as to what Chaplin was intending to say – the boss is the only one allowed to speak and all of the workers are in silent submission. Even some of the visual details in the first stretch of the film can allude to this, as one of the film’s most iconic images shows the Tramp quite literally “caught in the machinery.”

It’s also interesting how at the time films like this would have been family entertainment, and how standards of what kids should be allowed to see has evolved. It may seem weird that I’ve brought that up, but there is a scene set in the prison where the Tramp eats platefuls of smuggled cocaine and is on a drug trip for the next five minutes, something you just wouldn’t see in any family-oriented film nowadays. It’s strange to see how standards change about what’s acceptable to put in films.

Now what I’m about to say isn’t really a criticism, it’s just something I noticed about how the film concluded that I found quite strange.

Structurally the film operates as a series of sketches strung together into a plot, and it does that extremely well, however, the plot doesn’t really end. We can assume that after the final shot of the film, with them walking down the road together, their escapades continue. Finding new jobs, screwing them up, getting arrested, repeating the formula. It doesn’t really have a sense of finality to it. The final act is set in a cafe where the Tramp has to make up a musical number on the spot, is very funny and Chaplin sells it brilliantly as always, but it feels like it could have come at any point in the film. If this film was being made now, we’d normally expect to see a heightened climactic scenario, perhaps returning characters from earlier on the film, but that never happens. Instead, the Tramp and Ellen run away again and we have one last scene between them, which is surprisingly poignant and really well-acted, and then the film ends. It doesn’t really feel like a definitive end, more like a series of sketches and a quick conclusion to wrap it up. It’s not a bad thing whatsoever but that could be jarring to a modern audience.

Modern Times is absolutely brilliant and for my first real dive into Charlie Chaplin’s filmography, I was really happy with what I got. It’s aged wonderfully, it’s still very funny throughout and there are many moments of political commentary that still hit home and are topical. This is most definitely a classic and it deserves a 10/10. 

Well, thank you once again for reading everyone. This is one of two reviews I have for you this week, the other one being Doctor Who: Flux which you can go and check out now. But for Modern Times and for this review, this is the Classic Film Kid signing off!

CLASSIC FILM KID ARCHIVE – MODERN TIMES