Film History: Modern Times

Modern Times- Paper (2 pages, typed, double-spaced)
Due: Tuesday March 31 2009

"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician."

In this paper you should address two major topics:
• The physical comedy of Charlie Chaplin and how it translated to different audiences
• The political and social effects and repercussions of the film.

Discuss these two topics to the best of your knowledge using the sources viewed in class as well as any outside sources you want to include. Why did Chaplin decide to use sound the way he did in the film? What is the theme of the film, and how was it shown? Why do you think Chaplin wanted to address the social themes and industry? Please do not include a great deal of plot outline, rather tackle the two topics at hand and give your comment on them in an intelligent way.

If you base any of your information on outside sources (including the internet) you must include quotes and a bibliography. The paper should be two pages, typed, and double-spaced.