Charlie Chaplin in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Reflexive Ambiguity in "Modern Times."
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| Title: | Charlie Chaplin in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Reflexive Ambiguity in "Modern Times." |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Howe, Lawrence1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | College Literature. Winter2013, Vol. 40 Issue 1, p45-65. 21p. 1 Black and White Photograph. |
| Subject Terms: | Ambiguity in motion pictures, Social criticism in motion pictures, Art & technology, Technology & society, Motion picture industry |
| Reviews & Products: | Modern Times (Film) |
| People: | Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977 |
| Abstract: | Charlie Chaplin produced "Modern Times" in the midst of social upheaval and professional peril: the Great Depression called into question the optimism that had surrounded the "Machine Age," and the success of talking motion pictures threatened Chaplin's cinematic career as a silent filmmaker and star. These factors have influenced a critical consensus that views "Modern Times" as resorting to exhausted Chaplin formulas and shying away from social criticism. In light of a careful reading of the reflexive gestures in Chaplin's film and of primary documents of the period, Howe questions this consensus. Instead, his analysis interprets the reflexivity in Chaplin's film as representations of production and consumption that emphasize the dynamism that these two economic forces exerted on society as a whole and on Hollywood in particular. The film's double reflexivity, Howe concludes, establishes a parallel between Chaplin's dilemma as a filmmaker and the equivocal cultural attitudes toward the influence of industrial technology on economics, politics, and aesthetics because both derive from the tension between technological change in society and the technological basis of art in the early twentieth century. In that intersection of forces, "Modern Times" reflects not only Chaplin's own political and aesthetic concerns, but also the complex meanings that technology had acquired in both the production of culture and the culture of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of College Literature is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 85034904 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Charlie Chaplin in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Reflexive Ambiguity in "Modern Times." – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Howe%2C+Lawrence%22">Howe, Lawrence</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22College+Literature%22">College Literature</searchLink>. Winter2013, Vol. 40 Issue 1, p45-65. 21p. 1 Black and White Photograph. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ambiguity+in+motion+pictures%22">Ambiguity in motion pictures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+criticism+in+motion+pictures%22">Social criticism in motion pictures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Art+%26+technology%22">Art & technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Technology+%26+society%22">Technology & society</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motion+picture+industry%22">Motion picture industry</searchLink> – Name: SubjectProduct Label: Reviews & Products Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PS" term="%22Modern+Times+%28Film%29%22">Modern Times (Film)</searchLink> – Name: SubjectPerson Label: People Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Chaplin%2C+Charlie%2C+1889-1977%22">Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Charlie Chaplin produced "Modern Times" in the midst of social upheaval and professional peril: the Great Depression called into question the optimism that had surrounded the "Machine Age," and the success of talking motion pictures threatened Chaplin's cinematic career as a silent filmmaker and star. These factors have influenced a critical consensus that views "Modern Times" as resorting to exhausted Chaplin formulas and shying away from social criticism. In light of a careful reading of the reflexive gestures in Chaplin's film and of primary documents of the period, Howe questions this consensus. Instead, his analysis interprets the reflexivity in Chaplin's film as representations of production and consumption that emphasize the dynamism that these two economic forces exerted on society as a whole and on Hollywood in particular. The film's double reflexivity, Howe concludes, establishes a parallel between Chaplin's dilemma as a filmmaker and the equivocal cultural attitudes toward the influence of industrial technology on economics, politics, and aesthetics because both derive from the tension between technological change in society and the technological basis of art in the early twentieth century. In that intersection of forces, "Modern Times" reflects not only Chaplin's own political and aesthetic concerns, but also the complex meanings that technology had acquired in both the production of culture and the culture of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of College Literature is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=85034904 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1353/lit.2013.0007 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 21 StartPage: 45 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Ambiguity in motion pictures Type: general – SubjectFull: Social criticism in motion pictures Type: general – SubjectFull: Art & technology Type: general – SubjectFull: Technology & society Type: general – SubjectFull: Motion picture industry Type: general – SubjectFull: Modern Times (Film) Type: general – SubjectFull: Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977 Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Charlie Chaplin in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Reflexive Ambiguity in "Modern Times." Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Howe, Lawrence IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Winter2013 Type: published Y: 2013 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00933139 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 40 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: College Literature Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
