Modern Times Charlie Chaplin

(aka " The Masses ")

U.S.A. 1936

The title alone would mark Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times as a period piece. In fact, Chaplin's most elaborate feature was anachronistic even in 1936—a proud rejection of talking (but not sound) pictures, released over eight years after The Jazz Singer.
Playing for a week in the new digitally scrubbed and remastered version that closed this year's Cannes Film Festival, Modern Times was seemingly made under the twin influences of Walt Disney (the cartoon-like use of sound effects) and Fritz Lang (the vast art deco factory that initially employs the Little Tramp). More than any previous Chaplin film, albeit setting the precedent for all subsequent ones, Modern Times was a statement—Chaplin's conscious, if sentimental, attempt to locate his alter ego in the context of class struggle. The working title was supposedly The Masses.

Excerpt from J. Hoberman's review at The Village Voice located HERE

Posters (Click Top LEFT poster to enlarge)

Theatrical Release: February 5th, 1936 - USA

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DVD Comparison:

Warner - Region 2- PAL vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC (oop) vs. Warner Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC

Thanks to Ole of DVDBasen for the Region 2 PAL captures!

(Warner - Region 2- PAL - LEFT vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Warner Region 2 - PAL	Image Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	Warner Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:23:08 ( 4% PAL Speedup)	1:27:24	1:23:04 (4% PAL Speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.54 mb/s PAL 720X 25.00 f/s	1.31:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.76 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.33 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Warner Region 2
Bitrate: Image
Bitrate: Warner
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Arabic, Bulgarian, Romanian, English for the hearing impaired, French for the hearing impaired, Italian for the hearing impaired and none - Extras is subtitled in: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Dutch and none	English, French and none	English, Spanish, French, Korean, Portuguese, Thai and none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Black & White, Dolby • All-new restoration with digital transfer from the Chaplin family vault and remastered • The Tramp and the Dictator: documentary directed by Kevin Brownlow and Michael Kloft • The Production Filmed in Color by Sydney Chaplin (1939/40) • Gallery of film posters • A seven-minute sequence shot in 1918 for Sunnyside that inspired the famous barber scene in The Great Dictator • A scene from Monsieur Verdoux • Trailers The same as Warner R1, but if you buy the Chaplin Collection Volume One you get an extra disc that's not with the R1 Box: Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin - A film by Richard Schickel (2:06:39). DVD Release Date: September 22nd, 2003 Custom Case Chapters 20	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.31:1 Edition Details: • All Regions • Black & White • Production notes • Never-before-seen original story notes, shooting log and production reports for the "feeding machine" sequence in slideshow format (5 Chapters) (33:06) • A witty video reminiscence by music arranger David Raksin, accompanied by original photos and manuscripts (17:04) DVD Release Date: March 14, 2000 Snapper Case Chapters 14	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Black & White, Dolby • All-new restoration with digital transfer from Cineteca Bologna and remastered • Introduction to the film by biographer David Robinson, illustrated by stills • Chaplin Today: "Modern Times" documentary directed by Philippe Truffault • Gallery of film posters from the world • Karaoke version of Chaplin's "nonsense" song • Set photo gallery including original story notes, shooting log and production reports (over 250) • Two deleted scenes • "Smile" sung by Liberace (1956) • Behind the Scenes in the Machine Age (1931); U.S. Government -sponsored film • Symphony in F (1940); promotional musical film by the Ford Motor Company • Por primera vez (For the First Time) (1967); Cuban short film • Trailers DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003 Keep Case Chapters 20

Comments:

UPDATE: October 9th - Warner Region 2 added:

Well, in short the image on the Warner Region 2 is the best. There is no "ghosting" as in the Warner Region 1's. I would like to point out that I, personally, wouldn't trade in the Image Entertainment discs for the Warner Region 2's. I am happy with the Image discs - no PAL speedup - less cropping. This is not counting the valuable Extras on the Region 2 and the extra disc with "The Life and Art of Charlie Chaplin" that you don't even get on the Warner Region 1 set. It would be nice to own that.... and the 5.1 sound... ohh who am I kidding, I'll be getting the R2's as well.

On normal viewing on a television I saw some PAL to NTSC 'ghosting' on the Warner Region 1 discs. It was more prevalent while obtaining captures (as it always is), but not overly obtrusive during normal screenings. By judging the times we can see that Warner has not accounted for the PAL speedup and we have the infamous "blurring" occurring in rapid motion scenes (Charlie frenetic dancing around the machines). We are seeing the film at 4% faster than normally which I suppose is not that big a deal but include the other faux-pas by Warner: The Warner is cropped on all 4 sides by enough to notice (approximately 4% by my calculation).

What a waste. Obviously the Warner image is sharper than the Image Entertainment (picture-boxed) image, but I am very disappointed in the apparent contrast boosting. I will pay more attention to the flaws than the film itself while watching the Warner DVD. I hope to get some captures of the PAL mk2 versions to further compare, but my bet would be to buy the European versions. I am very disappointed in my purchase of this Region 1 DVD. It does have quite an array of Extra Features.

Instead of doing the transfer from the original source themselves, Warner let someone else do it (mk2) then took THEIR PAL transfer. Now we get the worst of both worlds: 4% PAL speedup from original source and lower NTSC resolution (AND "ghosting"). Throw in the cropping and looks to have excessive digital processing. It has been cleaned up, but at what expense? The more the write the madder I am getting. Better stop.

- Gary W. Tooze

Associated Reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Metropolis (Bfi Film Classics, 54) by Thomas Elsaesser	Movie Posters of the Silent Film Era To Color by Rex Schneider, Christopher Buchman	American Film Cycles: The Silent Era (Bibliographies and Indexes in the Performing Arts) by Larry Langman	Family Secrets: The Feature Films of D. W. Griffith by Michael Allen	The First Female Stars : Women of the Silent Era by David W. Menefee	Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses by Anthony Slide	The Silent Cinema Reader by Lee Grieveson, Peter Kramer	Silent Stars Speak: Interviews With Twelve Cinema Pioneers by Tony Villecco

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(Image - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC and Warner - Region 2- PAL- RIGHT)

NOTE: Warner Region 1+2 DVD Menus
are identical (negligible differences)

Screen Captures

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

NOTE: Image Entertainment captures are kept in their "picture-boxed" format.

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

Notice the cropping on all 4 sides of the Warner image.

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

(Image - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

Edge enhancement on the bottom fray of her skirt, the light fixture and decoration high on the wall behind her.

(Warner- Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

This is a good example to see the contrast boosting. The Warner Region 1 image looks almost over-exposed.

Recommended Reading on Chaplin (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


Charles Chaplin: My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin	Discoveries: Charlie Chaplin by David Robinson	Charlie Chaplin and His Times by Kenneth S. Lynn	Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema by Jeffrey Vance	The Intimate Charlie Chaplin by May Reeves, Constance Brown Kuriyama	Tramp: The Life of Charlie Chaplin by Joyce Milton	Charlie Chaplin: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers Series) by Kevin J. Hayes, Charlie Chaplin	Charlie Chaplin: A Photo Diary by Michel Comte (Editor)

Check out more in "The Library"

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Report Card:

Image:	Warner 2 is best
Sound:	Warner's for optional 5.1
Extras:	Warner Region 2 for extra disc in Box
Menu:	Image Entertainment

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

Warner
Region 2 - PAL

Image Entertainment

Region 0 - NTSC

Warner
Region 1 - NTSC