Topic > Analysis of Charlie Chaplin's editorial choices in Modern Times

In Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin, many elements of the film are expertly used to best convey the message of the story. One of these elements, montage, is exploited through the use of its many advantageous techniques to create links with the essential themes of modern times, such as capitalism, the Great Depression and Industrialization. By analyzing the most important types of transitions used such as dissolves and cuts, as well as stylistic aspects such as temporality and reaction shots, it is clear that Chaplin manages to make the best editorial choices to cultivate the setting of the Great Depression and the industrialization struggles in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin, Chaplin relies mostly on cuts to tell the story. Specifically in the factory scene, cuts between the control room and the assembly line are used; for example, between shots one and two of clip 2. Beyond that clip and throughout the scene, however, shots of Charlie are continually interrupted by shots of the control room. There, the Boss orders a man to speed up the line. Then, the camera cuts to Charlie, frantically trying to keep up with the changes. These cuts are used to create anticipation in the audience. By moving away from the assembly line and back to the control room in the following pattern, a sense of predictability is created where viewers can recognize that by showing them the controls, something is about to change on the assembly line and affect Charlie (so a criticism has been made between the idea of ​​control and the idea of ​​being control). Compared to the historical context of this film (1930s), it is clear that Modern Times is a satirical portrait of the life of the worker during the Great War. Depression and the impact of industrialization. With this in mind, it can be seen that these cuts between the two locations not only allow for comedic foreshadowing, but also an emphasis on the idea that machines have great power and are capable of manipulating people. This is evident as Charlie struggles to adapt to the changing speed of the assembly line, which ultimately causes him to twitch and act robotically, even when he is no longer working on the line. In this film, cuts like these are often shown between the controllers and the controller. For example, when you return to the boss's office to reveal the "Bellows Feeding Machine". Again, decisions are made separately from the presence of Charlie (a lower class worker) where the boss and the salesman decide to test the machine on him without asking his permission. Cuts are used in Modern Times to present the working class as puppets and reveal those who pull the strings on a separate platform (higher society and industrialization). Furthermore, Modern Times, as in most classic Hollywood films of its time, uses "continuity style" editing. This involves a “real-time action” temporality in which the shots used in the film (for the most part) follow one another. For example, between shots two and three of clip 2, when Charlie turns to leave the assembly line, the next shot shows him leaving the assembly line, starting at exactly the same point where the previous shot ended , only now the action follows. from a different angle. Without compromising time and space, the story progresses for the audience as if they were actually there, experiencing second by second what Charlie does. Chaplin has.