Modern Times, a silent film directed by Charlie Chaplain, shines a negative light on the industrial age, in both social and financial terms. While yes, there are certain perks for the minority bourgeoisie class, the majority of society suffers to make ends meat by working in harsh and inhumane conditions.
In this satirical comedy, an average factory worker is brought to the edge through brutal working circumstances; resulting in his mental breakdown. Though his breakdown is humorously portrayed, it gets the message across that inhumane working conditions are destroying the working class. Because these terrible conditions are a result of the industrial revolution, it can then be inferred that there is a parallel between technology and human misery. The workers were treated inhumanely. They worked around 12 hours a day with very small breaks and minimal pay.
During this time, as a result of the terrible working conditions and the huge economic gap between the bourgeoisie and the working class, there were concerns about socialism. Once the factory worker is finally out of the hospital and back on his feet, he is once again knocked down by being incorrectly deemed as a communist during a strike. Chaplain uses this scene to highlight yet another social concern during this time period that is resultant of the economy.
There is a huge unemployment rate during the depression. Chaplain illustrates this when a young woman’s family is ecstatic because she was simply able to steal bananas for them. He also portrays this through the factory worker who has a difficult time getting work after he is let out of prison. Because it is enormously hard to live decently during the great depression, he wants to go back to jail. Times were tough.
Through this silent film, Chaplain pointed out all that was wrong in this period as well as show the hardships that occurred during the great depression. Economically, I believe that Chaplain was suggesting the need for a visible hand. Socially, he advocated better working conditions and more humane treatment. Although he did well for himself as an actor and director, he sympathized with the less fortunate.
He definjitely advocated for better working conditions because he exposed the harsh treatment that the workers were receiving. I believe that one of the main factors that would have made the nation become strong again was the sympathy of the wealthy toward the poor. Instead of oppressing the poor, the wealthy should have helped in order for everyone to come back to their feet during such a harsh time for the economy.