{"id":396,"date":"2012-10-07T15:44:08","date_gmt":"2012-10-07T19:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.briancroxall.net\/lit-tech\/?p=396"},"modified":"2012-10-07T15:44:08","modified_gmt":"2012-10-07T19:44:08","slug":"silence-is-powerful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.briancroxall.net\/lit-tech\/2012\/10\/07\/silence-is-powerful\/","title":{"rendered":"Silence is Powerful"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1936, when Charlie Chaplin\u2019s ModernTimes<\/em> premiered, nine years had passed since talking films were introduced to the world. Why would Chaplin choose to restrict his ability to convey his message to his audience when he had the technology available to create a talkie? Though silent films were a dying genre, Modern Times<\/em> has a greater impact on the viewer by forcing them to pay close attention to the dangers of a technological world.<\/p>\n

The silence of the movie scenes leaves a larger impression than if words were to be added. In one scene, a man tries to sell a machine that cuts out lunch hour for the employees, therefore increasing the efficiency of his factory. But, when the machine proves to be faulty and Charlie Chaplin\u2019s character is harmed in the demonstration, the inventor seems to be more concerned with the malfunction of the machine than the employee\u2019s well-being. The audience can infer this through the drawn out scene where the inventor attempts to fix the machine; all the while, Chaplin is abused by the invention. \u00a0Had the scene contained a conversation, the message would not be as strong.<\/p>\n

Later, just prior to his release from the prison, Chaplin is shown lounging in a chair in his fully decorated cell, making conversation with a guard. This wordless scene is necessary for the viewer to fully understand its message. The audience must see the contrast between this scene and the scenes of Chaplin unconsciously working in the factory to comprehend how terrible factory conditions were. As the clich\u00e9 states, sometimes actions speak louder than words.<\/p>\n

Talking movies have now almost completed removed the need for silent films, yet still have an enormous impact on any audience. Today, it seems as though we use only our words to communicate; with our overuse of technology, we have begun to eliminate the importance of face-to-face communication and even shortened the words that we do use. Charlie Chaplin\u2019s movie forces the viewer to focus on body language and actions, sending a stronger message about the potentially negative effects of technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1936, when Charlie Chaplin\u2019s ModernTimes premiered, nine years had passed since talking films were introduced to the world. Why would Chaplin choose to restrict his ability to convey his message to his audience when he had the technology available to create a talkie? Though silent films were a dying genre, Modern Times has a<\/p>\n