Chaplin - The Legend

The past weekend, I was lucky enough to watch the classic silent movie of Charlie Chaplin "Modern Times". I have already seen the movie in bits and pieces in my school days. But this was the first time i ever got to watch it complete.

Modern Times is a film written & directed by Chaplin. The story involves this famous Little "Tramp" character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great depression, conditions created, in Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern industrialization. The movie stars Chaplin & Paulette Goddard as the lead pair.

The movie follows the Tramp and a young woman - whom he rescues from the authorities who want to put her in an orphanage - as they try to overcome their impoverished street life. The Tramp attempts multiple jobs but quickly, and comically, loses them.

Apart from the humourous Chaplin we all see in the movies, the movie also makes us understand Chaplin as a great thinker & a creative revolutionist, who knew exactly how to put forth his perspectives on critical issues & feed them into their minds.

This is the first film where Chaplin's voice is heard (in the 'nonsense' song at the end). However, for most viewers it is still considered a silent film. The 'nonsense' song need not be taken with a negative intonation. The song again is a classic. Though it is lyric-less, we can still enjoy watching the way he dances. The movements & gestures are awesome. I would rate this song as one of the greatest ever piece, one can watch in a movie.