LGM Film Club, Part 152: Modern Times

Since we started the day off with Frederick Winslow Taylor, it only makes sense to close it out with the greatest manifestation of Taylorism ever placed on the screen, which is of course Chaplin’s Modern Times. The whole thing is gold from stem to stern, but the factory scene is beyond brilliant. What could better place the reality of life in factory into a story than what Chaplin did here? A socialist himself, the great comedian knew very well that comedy was a better organizing tool than agitprop. This is just one of the greatest scenes of all time.