This blog is in response to the task given by our professor Dilip barad sir https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2020/09/charlie-chaplin-modern-times-great.html In this blog I am going to write about my understanding on the Zeitgeist of the 20th Century: From Modern Times to the era of Great Dictators Films by Charlie Chaplin. Also I am going to write about Frame study of both films.
Charlie Chaplin:-
Charlie Chaplin, byname of Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, (born April 16, 1889, London, England—died December 25, 1977, Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland), British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer who is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. Chaplin is a comedian but not a comedian.
In truth, Chaplin did not always portray a tramp; in many of his films his character was employed as a waiter, store clerk, stagehand, fireman, and the like. His character might be better described as the quintessential misfit shunned by polite society, unlucky in love, jack-of-all-trades but master of none. He was also a survivor, forever leaving past sorrows behind, jauntily shuffling off to new adventures. The Tramp’s appeal was universal: audiences loved his cheekiness, his deflation of pomposity, his casual savagery, his unexpected gallantry, and his resilience in the face of adversity. Some historians have traced the Tramp’s origins to Chaplin’s Dickensian childhood, while others have suggested that the character had its roots in the motto of Chaplin’s mentor, Fred Karno: “Keep it wistful, gentlemen, keep it wistful.” Whatever the case, within months after his movie debut, Chaplin was the screen’s biggest star
Let's discuss Chaplin movies which represent Zeitgeist of 20th century:
Study of Modern time:
Modern Times is a 1936 American part-talkie satirical romantic black comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin in which his iconic Little Tramp character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a commentary on the desperate employment and financial conditions many people faced during the Great Depression — conditions created, in Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern industrialization. The movie stars Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford and Chester Conklin. It is notable for being the last time that Chaplin portrayed the Tramp character and for being the first time Chaplin's voice is heard on film.
-What was Charlie Chaplin's message in Modern Times?
Chaplin's Modern Times criticizes the growing industrial and mechanical nature of society through hyperbolic actions by the main character and varying reactions thereafter.
Frame Study of "Modern Times":-
First we should know what is Frame study?
-A frame is a single image of film or video. Framing (a shot) involves composing the visual content of a series of frames as seen from a single point of view, i.e., a fixed camera. When framing a shot, the filmmaker creates a visual within the dimensions of the lens just as a painter creates a visual within the dimensions of a canvas. A frame study is the study or understanding of the frame by a camera which is describing or indicating a lot of things to actually understand the meaning behind the fixed camera image.
- In cinematography, framing refers to the way elements are arranged in the frame. Essentially what the camera sees. The way actors are blocked, and move through the scene, and set design, all these things play a role in framing. As we'll see later in this series, framing is also effected a lot by the choice of lens.
Frame-1: Clock controls everything:
When the film starts there is a first frame of clock that shows that clocks are controlling Human Being. In today's time calendar and clock both are controlling human's life . For example, if there is 12 o'clock in the afternoon we have to take our lunch. It shows the Mechanization of Humans. In modern times when job going people want some holiday they have to wait for the weekend. Everyone is waiting for the weekend, no one can get a holiday on a regular day, it shows our mechanization.
Frame-2: shepherd flow:
Second frame of the film is when a herd of sheep running towards the pen and in a fade in transition comes the frame of a people who are moving in a crowd with one destination that is industry. All people going towards their industrial work they all are working like robots in industries.-ગાડરિયો પ્રવાહ:આંખ મીંચી કોઈ કરે તેની પાછળ એજ પ્રમાણે કરતા જવાનું. We called it ગાડરિયો પ્રવાહ in Gujarati. They don't use their own ideology they only follow order of their Leader.
Frame-3: Mind power V/S Muscle power:
In this frame it is showing that upper class people or the leader/ president of that industry playing some puzzle in his leisure time and all other people are working hard. He also gave some instructions to muscle men who were controlling machines.
Frame-4: Man V/S Machine:
In this frame of film it shows that there is lunch time still all workers are doing work until the machines are not stopped.
Frame-5: Control:
At lunch time our hero Trump goes into the washroom and wants to smoke but he can not because the president of that industry was watching him and said "GO BACK TO WORK". All workers are constantly watched by someone. There is no privacy in the washroom also. In modern times CCTV's constantly spy on us and they control our privacy.
Frame-6: protest for unemployment:
In the 20th century industrialization was at the peak in the period that the unemployed working class people had to fight for their Liberation, for their employment. They all are agitating against the government of that time. Unions are asking for their rights. By chance or we can say accidently our hero became the leader and the police came and caught him.
Frame-7: Happy in cell:
The Tramp was happy that at least he is getting food and a place to sleep because outside the jail he was unemployed, riots were going on, strikes were going on. He had no food to eat, no shade to live in which shows the image of the 20th century; the working-class didn't have even the basic amenities of life like Roti, Kapda, Makan.
Frame-8: Poverty:
In this Frame of film it is showing that poverty in the 20th century is common in America. All lower class people steal food to survive. There is a character named Gamin who steals food for her sister's. And after some days her Father died in Accident they all became orphan and there is rule of government or Well-fare state that they will take care of orphan child
There is a frame which shows that he was dreaming about his dream house and dream lifestyle of living a fancy life. But we all know that he can not afford all these facilities. The American Dream is always based on 'Food' only.
(Reality of American people's life.)
When this Film ends this end with optimism. They still believe in hope and they are going on.
In Nut-shell:
This is the first time where I had tried the frame study of the movie. watching a movie for the means of entertainment and watching the movie for the understanding of the literary text makes a great difference.
Thank you so much for reading this Blog.
I hope this blog was helpful to you.
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