Modern Times

1) Modern Times is a comedy film created by Charlie Chaplin in 1936. The film is about the life of a tramp, a poor man who struggles to live in modern industrial society.

The main characters are Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard (“the gamine”). The secondary characters are Henry Bergman or Tiry Standford.

2) Charlie Chaplin is employed in a big factory. His work is very repetitive. Throughout the day, he shall tighten the nuts more and more quickly. But because of this very tiring work, he falls into depression. So he's sent in a hospital.

Once cured, he tries to find another job.

Unfortunately, while walking in the street, he is mistaken for the leader of a demonstration. He is jailed.

In prison, he accidentally ingests cocaine. Under the influence of this drug, he prevents an evasion. The guards consider him like a hero and he is released.

But Charlie was happy in jail because he could eat and he could sleep as he wanted, so he tries to turn back in prison.

One day, he meets a young girl, "the gamine» who tries to escape the police because she stole some bread. Charlie wants to make believe he is the guilty but a witness says the robber was a woman. So he is declared innocent.

As he is finally arrested, he meets once again "the gamine" in the van of the police. But during the trip, they are ejected of the van because of an accident.

Both are trying to work. But every time, Charlie is dismissed from his job. That's really difficult for him.

After a short passage in jail, "the gamine" finds a house, not Buckingham Palace, but a house

Finally, "the gamine found a job for both. She is a singer and he is a server. During a show, he loses the paper of the lyrics and he shall improvise. It's a real success.

That could be marvellous but the police come to arrest “the gamine” again. This time, it's because she is an orphan.

When her parents died, her two sisters were placed in an orphanage but she didn't want to go there so she ran away and went to live in the street.

Charlie helps her again to escape and together, they go forward with determination and hope. They really want to be happy although times are difficult.

3) This movie critiques the working conditions of the time and also the lack of police effectiveness. In fact Charlie is often arrested when he is not guilty and he can easily escape.

The filmmaker shows with humor that living conditions are very hard and that it's a struggle for every moment to survive.

4) I think this film reflects really the conditions of life of the time. It's a good description of the way of life of the poor. They have nothing and it's hard for them to try to have a work, a house, something to eat...

I can realize the power of bosses over workers, but also the full power of the police.

However, Charlie Chaplin wants to show us that sometimes people can be happy without money, when he meets a girl who wants to be kind with him. Together, they

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