英文影评：摩登时代（ModernTimes）

　　CharlieChaplinragesagainstthemachinesinananti-capitalistcomedyfeaturingtheLittleTrampalongsidehisreal-lifeloverandsoon-to-bewife,PauletteGoddardChaplinwasinthemidstvb电视剧tofhisanti-soundprotest(duringwhichhemadesilentfilmswhileotherstudioschurnedouttalkies)whenhemade摩登Times-hismostexplicitstatementagainsttechnologicaladvancementandcapitalism.Itis,infact,aquasi-soundfilm,butwithallvoicesemanatingfromvariousmachinesinsteadoftheactors,exceptforonemomentwhentheTrampsingsagibberishsong.

　　Thatthemachinescantalk,yetthepeopledon"t,isallpartoftheirdehumanisingeffect-earlyon,theTrampworksflat-outonaproductionlineandwhenhecan"tkeepup,he"ssuckedintothemachine.Hisrepetitivemovementsalsogivehimanervoustwitch,evenwhenhe"snotworking,turninghisbodyintoanautomatonthat"soutofhiscontrol.Hisonlyreleaseisanervousbreakdown,duringwhichhewreakshavocinthefactory,finallygainingcontroloverthemachinesbutendingupinjail.摩登Timeswasmadein1936,duringtheGreatDepression,whenindustrialisationbroughtthethreatofunemploymentandpovertytothemasses.Thefilmstartsoutwithacynicalpairofshotscomparingsheepspillingoutoftheirpentojostlingcityworkers,butwhileitportraysthedetrimentaleffectsoftechnology,itultimatelycelebratesatriumphofthehumanspirit.TheTrampfindsakindredspiritintheform.of"thegamin"(Goddard)andtogethertheytrytofitin,takingjobsandlivinginadeterioratingshack.Butwiththeauthoritieswatchingoverthem,itprovesdifficultevenwhenthey"vefoundperfectjobsasentertainers.

　　Thecouplejustaren"tcutoutfortheratrace.Inoneearlyscene,theTrampfeedssomeburglarsinadepartmentstorehe"ssupposedtobeguardingbecausethey"rehungrypeople,justlikeheis.InthesamewaythatChaplinbypassedsoundfilmsbysimplyignoringthem,sotheTrampandthegaminavoidtechnology,conqueringtheindustrialrevolutionbyrefusingtobepartofit.Theyare"theonlytwolivespiritsinaworldofautomatons".