Insut
Synopsis: A black and white comedy by Charlie Chaplin, Modern Times takes place in America during the Great Depression. It follows Little Tramp (Chaplin) while he struggles to survive as a factory worker in a modern and industrialized world. Though this movie does not take place during the Industrial Revolution, the problems and challenges faced by Americans during the Great Depression are similar to the ones faced by people in the Britain during the early 1900s.
As mentioned, this movie is in black and white. It is also a predominantly silent film, and these two factors take this movie outside of most students' comfort zones. Students tend to moan in disappointment when they learn what they are about to watch. However, the slap-stick, and physical humour wins high school students over and they seem to always enjoy the film.
Activity After the Movie:
Research Essay – Students are asked to take their knowledge of the Industrial Revolution and write a research paper comparing it to the Great Depression as depicted in Modern Times.
Opinion Essay – Chaplin uses this movie to shed a negative light on Capitalism and modernization. Accordingly, students could write an opinion paper agreeing or disagree with Chaplin's ideas of industrialization.
Below are three examples of relevant scenes from the movie that correlate with both essay topics:
The opening scene is of people marching to work and then it switches to a shot of a herd of sheep walking the streets. This is to portray Chaplin's opinion that people are more like sheep in an industrialized society, losing their individuality. One may argue that this was also the case during Industrial Revolution with the switch from the cottage industry to factory work.
After this opening scene the audience sees Chaplin in the factory, where he has a repetitive assembly-line job tightening screws together as products run by on a conveyor belt. Next his boss speeds up the machine, and it gets harder and harder for him to keep
As mentioned, this movie is in black and white. It is also a predominantly silent film, and these two factors take this movie outside of most students' comfort zones. Students tend to moan in disappointment when they learn what they are about to watch. However, the slap-stick, and physical humour wins high school students over and they seem to always enjoy the film.
Activity After the Movie:
Research Essay – Students are asked to take their knowledge of the Industrial Revolution and write a research paper comparing it to the Great Depression as depicted in Modern Times.
Opinion Essay – Chaplin uses this movie to shed a negative light on Capitalism and modernization. Accordingly, students could write an opinion paper agreeing or disagree with Chaplin's ideas of industrialization.
Below are three examples of relevant scenes from the movie that correlate with both essay topics:
The opening scene is of people marching to work and then it switches to a shot of a herd of sheep walking the streets. This is to portray Chaplin's opinion that people are more like sheep in an industrialized society, losing their individuality. One may argue that this was also the case during Industrial Revolution with the switch from the cottage industry to factory work.
After this opening scene the audience sees Chaplin in the factory, where he has a repetitive assembly-line job tightening screws together as products run by on a conveyor belt. Next his boss speeds up the machine, and it gets harder and harder for him to keep