An Appreciation – Modern Times
Chaplin had many great female leads in his films, but I believe Paulette Goddard, who played the Gamin here, may have been one of his very best. Goddard was Chaplin’s wife at the time; the chemistry between them is unquestionable. He shoots her very often in close up, both to show off her beauty and her undeniable feistiness. Unlike other female characters that served simply as a support for The Tramp, the Gamin was portrayed more as an equal. She runs around barefoot, steals food to give to local kids, helps find work and a home for The Tramp, and even dances in a nightclub to help earn some money. Goddard was just as good with her physicality and expressiveness as Chaplin was with The Tramp here; the two had a bond at the time that radiated from the screen. As further evidence, let’s regard the final shot of the film. As The Tramp, in his final curtain call, walks down the street toward an unknown but hopeful future, does he walk alone? No, he is accompanied by the Gamin, hand in hand. To end both the film and the character of The Tramp with a partner goes to show Chaplin’s admiration for the Gamin and for Goddard, and it is well deserved.
Chaplin was hesitant to ever film a talkie. He felt that The Tramp was a character that existed in pantomime, in physical expression instead of dialogue. To hear Chaplin speak would dissipate his effectiveness and risk turning him into a no-name stand-up comedian. This film would be the last mainstream release made in the tradition of a silent movie, despite having dialogue and sound effects heard from a number of sources. However, Chaplin knew that he would have to adapt to the changing times or face being seen as old fashioned. For this problem, Chaplin devised a unique and brilliant answer to provide a voice to his character. The climax of the film involves The Tramp singing in front of a crowd at the nightclub. Unprepared for his performance, The Tramp worries about how his performance will be taken. The Gamin helps him by writing his lyrics on his cufflink. But soon into the performance the cufflink is flung away, and The Tramp has to come up with his own lyrics to the song. In a great movie moment, The Tramp sings (in his own voice) out loud, but in complete gibberish. The sounds coming out of his mouth make no sense, but through the use of expression, we know exactly the story he is telling us. This is a bold act of inspiration by Chaplin; not only does he allow us to hear his voice, he maintains that special, silent element that made him such a star. It is an amazing highlight for an amazing film.
Modern Times, like many of Chaplin’s other films, related to audiences in its own magical way. Through the use of slapstick comedy and a touch of emotion, Chaplin showed us that he knew and understood how times were for people, and that The Tramp, one of the great characters in movie history, was one of them. This movie told us to remain optimistic, that no matter what obstacles life threw at us, there would always be a better tomorrow. There are many memorable moments that happen in all of Chaplin’s films, but the final moment in the life of The Tramp is one of the best. Turning to the Gamin, The Tramp says a word that lifts her spirit; that rejuvenates her outlook and strengthens her resolve. And in a way, The Tramp says this word to us as well, in hopes of doing the same thing. It’s a word that would become the title of the film’s recognizable score, a score that would go on to become a song covered by artists from Nat King Cole to Michael Jackson. It is a word that is synonymous with who The Tramp was and his effect on the movies.
Smile. He told us to smile. And that’s exactly what we did.
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