2. Modern Times
Nine years into the sound age, Charlie Chaplin continued to defy logic with Modern Times. Although there were sound effects and a few spoken lines, the majority of the film is silent and The Tramp, in his last film appearance, does not speak the entire film except for some gibberish. Arguably Chaplin's best blend of comedy and melodrama, Modern Times was a thinly veiled critique of the modern industrial world, which at the time was right in the middle of the Great Depression. It begins with the Tramp working on a production line at a factory, where the menial but demanding labor causes him to have a mental breakdown. Now unemployed, he meets an orphaned girl on the streets and they set out together in an attempt to find work. After run-ins with the law and brief success as entertainment at a cafe, the film ends with the two walking down a road to an uncertain future. The ending is a bit deceptive sounding as Modern Times is a typically hopeful Chaplin film and is filled with some of the most memorable scenes in silent film history. Chaplin's last silent film, and the last important silent film for many years, Modern Times was also his last unmitigated success as the coming years saw him become more active politically, which had a disastrous impact on his reputation.