Modern Times 1936-????

As I watch Modern Times (Chaplain, 1936) again, I cannot help but feel as though not much has changed, or at least that our society has come full circle since 1936. Except, I would give our culture the credit that many elements have changed despite the bigger picture remaining as it was.

Alas, assembly lines have would be lines of cubicles. Instead of stealing bananas and bread, poor folks might make off with cash from their neighbors and booze from the liquor store. There is no way to simply walk into an establishment, speak with a manager or owner and receive a job anymore; we would see people sitting at computers filing unemployment records and finishing online applications.

It is not far fetched, however, to see a man working to go back to jail for the sake of security and consistency. Or to watch a couple seem to fall for one another rather quickly and think that their partner is the solution to all of their problems. Masses living in dreams and fantasies in order to escape the harsh reality that is life.

Yes, many settings may have changed: industry and factory to engineering and digital technology. Personal conversation to social networking… The roots, though, remain the same: economic depression.