Modern Times

Though he was born a British man, I always think about Chaplin when I think about America. The Tramp represents the spirit of the people trapped by a system built to keep them low. No authority is fair and no dream is unattainable. That’s the contradiction in the Tramp, so he strives but rarely succeeds... until MODERN TIMES. In Chaplin’s swan song for his iconic character, he is set against the most daunting circumstances yet: the rise of a dehumanizing culture, populated with poverty, drugs and automation. Yet he finally gives the little guy a happy ending in the form of a romantic company just as endlessly hopeful as he is. Together, the film posits, they can take on anything.

WALL-E is Pixar’s spiritual successor to Modern Times, and viewing them together help clarify these themes of salvation through connection. Though the message may seem saccharine in these times, it’s times like these where the saccharine can feel the most healing.