Movie. Modern Times, 1936. (HIx: 2)
Though done in 1936, almost a decade after talkies had come into their own, this is essentially done as a silent, thus falsifying my claim about City Lights. However, there are voices here and there where syncing is not necessary, and lots of synchronized sound effects; the music is also well integrated with the choreography, which with the graceful, almost artsy movements of the cast (even several of the secondary ones) gives the film a ballet-like quality at times. According to IMdB, the original music was composed by Charlie Chaplin himself.
The opening is in a factory reminiscent of Metropolis, complete with video-screen-omnipresent capitalist and machines that seem to want to consume the frantically working men. Salesmen even bring over a new machine that will feed the men at their lunch break with septic efficiency; the machine goes berserk to great comedic effect.
The whole situation brings nebbish Charlie Chaplin to a nervous breakdown, causing him to lose this job as the first in a long string; nothing ever seems to go right, landing him quite often in jail, which at least provides a decent place to live. In parallel is the story of orphan Paulette Goddard, who with street cunning gets by as a classic gamine. They meet up, and love causes both lives to transcend the dire circumstances that continue to haunt them both.
The subtext seems to be the little guy caught in the impersonalism of a society dominated by machines and cops. It is thus edgy and occasionally quite tense. There is even a gag involving cocaine. One has the feeling that he is critizing American society of that era — there is even a subtle dig at commie-baiting — but the humor keeps the critique under control. Though at one level nothing goes right, he muddles through somehow, gets the girl, and as poor but happy is ready to move into the next adventure.