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Modern Times is classic Charlie Chaplin slapstick comedy, and a timeless experience. The film marks one of Chaplin's most potent movies that still has bucket loads of relevance to typical contemporary audiences.
In one of his final silent movies (more or less), Chaplin plays a worker at a local factory who struggles to live in an industrial society. In a nutshell, the film essentially examines the dehumanisation process of modern industries. In a time when people's lives hinge on getting a steady job and an income, Chaplin's character is still endlessly searching for work with the help of a young homeless woman who is on the run.
The whole movie is a collection of hilarious gags strung together with not much of a plot, which is the film's biggest downfall, but its entertainment value is what matters most during a silent movie. Like most of Chaplin's silent movies, the film is frequently hilarious.
As the title character, Chaplin is able to insert a plethora of side-splitting sight gags that never lose steam. I will admit that the opening gags were better quality than the succeeding gags, but I was still laughing from start to finish.
And Chaplin doesn't utter a word until the very end with his very amusing (and immensely random) dance number while he sings pure gibberish. For the most part, the film is silent. But there are minor instances when dialogue is used, but it is only used for voices coming from mechanical devices. This is another symbol of the film's theme of modern technology and its importance to the typical society at the time.
Modern Times is a highly hilarious slapstick comedy, but this is only what it seems on the surface. Below the surface; a sleuth of groundbreaking, amazing themes and motifs that seem to become more relevant as humanity becomes ever more reliable on technology. And the film also parallels the American dream in the way that Chaplin and his love interest (played by Paulette Goddard) fantasise about living in a beautiful home with the husband raking in cash while the wife stays at home all day to cook and clean.
I found the 1930s slapstick gags somewhat predictable at times, but I was always laughing incredibly hard. However, not all audiences will find Chaplin's antics as funny as some others do. In my opinion the comedy is classic and exquisite, and some of the slapstick stunts in the movie are highly intriguing (who could forget that classic image of Chaplin roller-blading blindfolded in a department store) not to mention just plainly uproarious.
The music used throughout the movie is extraordinary (essential to any silent movie is pertinent music to accompany the almost complete silence on screen). For a scene that includes some of Chaplin's hilarious dancing or otherwise, I found the music to suit the mood extremely well.
While viewing the movie I was completely amazed about the outstanding restoration job. I could not imagine the film being as entertaining if the transfer wasn't on par. Of course it's no-where near the quality of a film made recently, but for a film over 70 years old it's mind-blowing.
Modern Times is a comedy that has been regarded as one of the funniest movies of all time. Although not entirely accurate, the film has symbolic meaning under the surface as the filmmakers point out the ills of society. Running at a brisk 83 minutes, the film delivers its message quickly and doesn't overstay its welcome. For the reason of such contemporary significance, the film is groundbreaking and is a fabulous tale to watch even after the time of silent pictures has long passed.
9/10
