SOCIAL ISSUES IN CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S "MODERN TIMES"

 SOCIAL ISSUES IN CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S "MODERN TIMES"

The movie "Modern Times" is a landmark story which denoted the final appearance of the world famous character of Charlie Chaplin who is popularly known as the Little tramp. In this iconic story the depiction of extreme capitalism and it's effects on human behaviour are shown.

Charlie Chaplin has effortlessly and seamlessly played the character of a tramp who is unmoved by the sheer magnitude of mistakes committed by him while working in a heavy industry. In this movie, it seems as if the tramp is a metaphor for the fate of a common man who has become a small part of an enormous system. The tramp seems ridiculous to all the other people is because he has still not lost his individuality. All other people are busy in minute activities such as putting a screw on a nail. 

This movie has sarcastically portrayed the menace that can be created through the excessive utilization of capitalism in the social construct. Here, we can witness the catastrophic problems that were being faced by people due to the "Great Depression". People were literally roaming in rags on the streets as they had either gotten unemployed or their salary was barely sufficient to keep the body and soul together. the social problems of the nineteenth century before the world wars are the main theme of this story.

This film was also an eye opener for the Americans who romanticized capitalism and became paranoid by socialism. Socialism or leftism that is in reality thoughtful towards the conditions of labourers was being attacked by capitalists and people were also whitewashed into believing that socialism was evil. The Great Depression exposed the flaws of capitalism and made the people more sympathetic towards the working conditions, job satisfaction etc. of the labour class.

The working conditions that have been depicted are no different from what is being faced by millions of people everyday. Even today, we have perpetual problems like poverty, unemployment, excessive inflation, strikes, income inequality, narcotics, opioids etc. Labourers are being forced to become addicts of narcotics because their life has been hijacked by machines and suffering. The opening title of this film "The story of industry, of individual enterprise- humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness" is coupled with the shots of sheep and people being taken to different places. The tramp becomes insane due to the mammoth amount of dull and repetitive work. He was also used as a specimen to test various machines. These machines seem to be created to ease the burden on labourers however, they are useless as they do not possess a human touch required to deal with people. The use of huge screens to monitor the activities of workers seems to be an imitation of George Orwell's book "1984". The tramp also faces a brain fade and starts to torque every object, machine or worker around him including the buttons on a lady's dress, collaborator's nose etc. this scene proves theat such work can completely destroy the individuality of a person.

The thing which makes this movie iconic is the fact that it is not adapting the repetitive theme of glorifying industrialization and showing a complete depiction of the situation. In the next part of this film, the character of Gamine is brought. Gamine shows the human cost of development and it is teamed up with heart wrenching pictures economic disparity. A society can be seen where people have to work for the entire day in order to get their basic necessities. This is not progress, this is exploitation. Both of them go through some misfortunes such as the encounter with the police, the night at the retail chain etc. The film finishes with both the characters going towards their regular chores and the tramp guaranteeing Gamine that all will be well. This end summarizes the theme of the story that at the end of the day an individual can only thrive in the abundance of human relations.

Charlie Chaplin's influence on our minds has surpassed 85 years. Through the medium of entertainment, he has highlighted the flaws the cripple our society to this day. He allows us to widen our mental horizons and gaze the world as it is. His art can give us invaluable knowledge about a time period and it can also serve as a time capsule for the future generations to introspect on the past.

Modern Times raises the ultimate question, "Has anything changed at all?" Although it also reminds us to smile at all junctures of life. Thus, it can be concluded that this film has captured all the existent stream of thoughts of the industrial age.