MODERN TIMES

Cafe Society
1

Hey, I just saw this for the first time, though I’m going to watch this again, and was pretty impressed by it.

I’ve got a headcold so I can’t really formulate any profound thoughts right now, but I’m impressed something like this was made in the height of the Great Depression. Was this sub-text just so unfamiliar at the time? Because it’s pretty glaring to us, who have the dubious benefit of fifty years of Cold War paranoia.

What are your thoughts on the movie? I just wanted to get something rolling so I can jump into conversation when my head is clear.

2

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it but I found it to be a little disjointed. But I guess that probably comes from Chaplin’s shooting style. Almost like a play, split up into serperate venues each with their own sense of completeness perhaps best illustrated by the fact that I saw the machinery scene about 4 times all by itself before I saw the movie itself and was quite surprised that there was more. I had thought that was it in its entirety.

But it just didn’t have that same flow of say Gold Rush or City Lights. Not that I didn’t think it was a good film and well worth the viewing it just could have been much better.

3

In some ways I prefer MODERN TIMES to either THE GOLD RUSH or CITY LIGHTS…it’s much less sentimental, almost Keatonesque.

And some of the disjointed bits include my all-time favorite Chaplin moments:

  1. The Billows Feeding Machine
  2. Charlie running down the street waving the red flag that fell off the lumber truck, and having the Communist Parade fall into step behind him
  3. Charlie hopped up on cocaine (it was hidden in a salt shaker, which he immediately dumped all over his food, rubbed into his moustache, and up his nose)
  4. Roller-skating blindfolded in the department store
  5. That great little nonsense song he sings when he’s a waiter

And it also has the absolutely gawgeous Paulette Goddard, who still makes a great “gamin” at the age of 31.

4

I also love this film, probably because of the reason you listed, Ike, although I had never thought of it that way before. He even gets the girl at the end. This film may be a little disjointed compared to his others, but it’s still brilliant.

Jeez, when the tramp gets high on coke and then starts trying to pick a fight with the prison’s big bruiser, it’s hysterical! And when he’s stressed out from his repetitive wrenching work and spots the society matron on the street with bolt-shaped buttons on her tits . . . hehehehe!

::Sigh::

I miss Eve. Right about now is where she’d post her opinion on Charlie Chaplin. Are you reading, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are?

5

You’ve already mentioned the good bits that I liked. I just wanted to add that Goddard was a fox suprema.

I don’t normally get a reaction like that when I’m watching the older movies. But boyoboyoboyoboyoboyo. Those eyes! That smile!

I would have been buying Photoplay and sending mash notes like a love-struck gandolfo back then.

Now I wish I could see the movie again. . . .

6

Yeah, me, too. Although she HATES Charlie Chaplin. Right about now she’d be pointing out that he used to slap Goddard around just before he’d walk out to have sex with large-chested 14-year-old girls, and Max Linder was funnier, anyhow.