Movie and Literature are two well known art forms. In this era these forms build and go together. Being a student of a literature, movie watching is essential as well as a new way of learning for me. Nowadays movie can act as an effective educational tool.
Only reading
of the book can’t be much interesting but the movie can be.The visual clips of the movies can
help or as well as provide a better understanding about any literary work. In
the department of English, we have a kind of fun and enjoyment to study
literature along with the understanding of the various movies.
Today we had a movie screening of THE
MODERN TIMES, American comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin
which was published in 1936. It is considered one of his most important films along
with his classics such as The Great Dictator, Gold Rush and City Lights.
Charlie Chaplin is known as #polymath.
He was an English comic actor, filmmaker and composer. He rose to fame in the
era of silent film. This film also marked the last screen appearance of the
Little Tramp- the character which had brought Charlie Chaplin world fame. He is
also considered as one of the most important figures in the history of the film
industry.
The Modern Times is a comic silent movie
with satirical tone. This movie is Charlie Chaplin’s critique of Capitalism. As
it is said that…
ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS
In this entire movie, the expression
of the characters plays a vital role. Without uttering a single word, they
indicate each and every situation well.
#Loss of freedom
There are so many interesting frames
throughout the movie. It opens with the frame of clock. The beginning of the
movie is quite interesting. In that scene Charlie Chaplin enacts a metaphor.
The modern people are compared with domestic animals. In the first scene sheep
has been guided by something and in the following scene there are modern people
leaving the public station. Now the life of modern people seems quite similar
with the life of domestic animal. Domestic animals are controlled by their
master. In the same way modern people are controlled by new system. It
symbolizes that modern people become a part of this new system. The idea of
loss of freedom is given by Charlie Chaplin in this scene.
#Capitalism
With the industrialization the
majority of the people is controlled by the minority group of people. In a way
lower or middle class people are being controlled by the wealthy people. In the
movie also the workers or a masculine men are controlled by wealthy men. Charlie
Chaplin also represented the idea of assembly line. This is his interpretation
of the factory life.
In assembly line, it became an important for them to work
fast. They were continuously tightening bolts on a conveyor. If they could not
do it speedily, the line would stop. They were hardly working there due to the
pressure of assembly line. It also presents that how the men also start to
behave like machine along with machinery.
#Joblessness burglary
In the country like America
Industrialization in the modern time, gave a birth to the unemployment and as a
result of it burglary took place. In this situation to fill their empty stomach
they started stealing of the food. In the movie also we could see thief coming
to steal food as well as the female character Gamin was stealing bananas to
satisfy the hunger of her as well as her family. Among this machinery people
started doing STRIKRS and RIOTS. It was a time of great depression. The workers
were low paid. The condition of the workers were worst. In the one scene we can
see that how the Charlie Chaplin started to behave like a mad man because of
his work load.
There is also a scene in the movie in which Charlie Chaplin
found a flag(red flag) and started walking. But soon the policeman condemned
him for expressing the liberty and idea of freedom. It shows that there isn’t any
type of right for the workers to raise their voice against the authority.
#craving for better life
In the movie, we can observe that Charlie
Chaplin’s crave for better lifestyle. There is a scene in the movie, in which
Charlie and Gamin were sitting under a tree and they had a dream while they had
seen a modern married couple.They had a dream of a home. In it also certain
food like fresh fruits and milk were presented. In a way they imagined
themselves in a comfort house with all kind of facilities. But as soon as they
came back from their dreamy world, they realized about the harshness of
reality. As they had no home or no job. It is a kind of great difference between
the social classes.
#Hope
An interestingly the movie ends with
the dawn. The couple was walking on the path. In that scene mountains may
symbolize that now no matter which type of difficulties may come in our way, we
are ready to face and come over them and surely it will pay off and will bring
changes in the modern times.
In the entire movie Charlie Chaplin
shows his quality as a realistic critic of modern times.
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