Modern Times

A (mostly) silent film for the sound era, Modern Times features the last screen appearance of Charlie Chaplin's iconic screen persona of the Little Tramp, who leaves as he arrived—without speaking a word. Made in 1936 during the Great Depression, Modern Times finds the Tramp and his “gamin” (a winning Paulette Goddard) struggling to both survive and maintain their individualism in the face of poverty, industrialization (depicted in a hilarious assembly line burlesque), and an omnipresent Big Brother—using pantomime routines set to an inventive mix of sound effects, music, and even a few words from the voices of authority. Chaplin—as writer, director, and star—serves it all up with comic grace and endearing sentimentality, while the surreal scene of Chaplin literally being wound through the gears of the factory machinery remains one of cinema's most memorable images. Modern Times is a comedy for the ages, and while Warner released a fine edition on DVD in 2003, Criterion presents a newly remastered version here, with extras including audio commentary by Chaplin biographer David Robinson, deleted scenes, new visual essays by Chaplin historians John Bengtson and Jeffrey Vance, a featurette on the film's visual and audio innovations, the 1916 Chaplin short “The Rink,” Chaplin's 1933 home movie “All at Sea,” and more. Whether the upgrade is worth it on DVD is a fair question, but Modern Times is an essential film for any library, and this is a superb edition, especially on Blu-ray. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)