Review – Modern Times

I suppose most folks who like Charlie Chaplin’s work (and if you don’t, you have a hole in your soul) probably have a favorite. With all the considerable respect due to The Gold Rush, this one is mine. Sure, it’s a bit of a cheat. Modern Times came later in Chaplin’s career, after most everyone else had switched to “talkies.” So by 1936 he’d had plenty of time to develop his routines, and he could also stir in some soundtrack stuff here and there (including a hysterical musical number). However, beyond the technical details lies an excellent story. This tale of a ne’er-do-well struggling to find a place in modern society is sentimental without being as overwhelmingly sappy as City Lights, political without being as pedantic as The Great Dictator. I have no idea how many times I’ve seen this (the first was in an art house back in the days before VCRs), but I still laugh out loud every time despite knowing exactly what’s going to happen. Buy the disc