McCabe, John. Charlie Chaplin. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc, 1978.

Chapter: Modern Times

The chapter in this book analyzes the film and discusses some reasons it was created. Chaplin, in 1901, had a job in which he operated a large machine that terrified him.  This, as well as the story of young workers basically losing their minds in Detroit inspired the idea for the film as well as direct scenes from it.  The article also discusses the powerful opening of the film which first states Modern Times is "the story of industry, of individual enterprise-humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness."  Next, in the opening scene, a montage metaphor is created by juxtaposing a herd of sheep to workers getting out of the subway. 

The discussion of the opening scene precisely relates to my thesis as Chaplin directly attacks the homogenization of workers within the first thrity seconds of the film.  In this montage Chaplin critiques industrialization as literally turning workers into a herd to obey the commands of the select few in charge.  Like sheep, the workers all look the same and behave the same.

The chapter also discusses the reception of the film in other countries.  Workers in Russia under the rule of Stalin were confused by this comparison of people to sheep.  The film was banned in Italy and Germany.  This also relates to my thesis because it shows that it was not just in the United States where homogeneity was in existence.  In Russia especially, a homogenous society was not only encourage, it was the only way to survive.