The United States and the European imperial powers were far from living in peace when the Great Depression emerged from World War I in 1929 and lasted for a decade. Immense international debts and overproduction of products that had little demand resulted from the war and ultimately played a major role in causing this global economic crisis that significantly affected the United States and other industrialized countries. This crisis of financial capitalism and industrial capitalism, respectively, led to a global economic meltdown, and it seemed that capitalism was coming to an end and would not recover. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1936, Charlie Chaplin, a renowned figure in the film industry as a "comic actor, director and composer", released the film Modern Times to provide comfort to those suffering during the Great Depression, but also to criticize those who they wanted to return to the pre-war system of capitalism. Instead of returning to the old capitalist system, Chaplin wanted to change it. Since Modern Times was made in the midst of the Great Depression, the film itself is considered a real-time primary source. Chaplin described the essence of industrial capitalism as exploitative, hierarchical, and frenetic, which suggests that industrial psychology, scientific management, and the international division of labor arise from industrialization in a negative way based on large-scale quantities of production and production. using raw materials, as well as the widespread use of media. One aspect of industrial capitalism was the psychological effect that industrialism had on working individuals. Workers would be placed in fast-paced environments that would push them to work beyond their physical and mental limits, to the point that they would begin to lose their minds. Notably, the Tramp character is seen having a mild nervous breakdown before going to the bathroom for a smoke break, but when his break is interrupted by the man in charge yelling at him on screen, he turns back. work and his mental stability progressively worsens (Modern Times). Because of high-efficiency work environments that prioritize each individual's maximum output, people like the Tramp are expected to get as much work done as possible, regardless of what the consequences may be on their mental well-being. In this scene Chaplin described how the people who benefited from industrial capitalism – in this case the man in charge behind the screen – failed to recognize, or simply ignored, the hardships that many workers had to endure in those working conditions. Chaplin captured the exploitation that workers faced during the Great Depression and how “mass production methods affected the worker both in the immediate work environment and in relationships with co-workers and supervisors.” There was also a scene in the film where the factory was shut down and all the workers were fired. Later, while reading the newspaper, the Tramp is ecstatic when he reads that the factory has reopened. Although the Tramp is seen having a nervous breakdown at the beginning of the film, when he finds work in a factory again he cannot contain his excitement at the thought of earning more money to fulfill his dream of living financially stable in a beautiful house with the Gamine. Over the course of the film the Tramp gets several jobs, but it was never enough to make his dream come true. Similarly, workers were expected during the Great Depressionmaximized their production, but it was never enough for them to maintain their lives economically and psychologically through this industrial capitalist lifestyle. Another aspect of industrial capitalism was the scientific management method in which there was efficiency management based on maximum production of work in a given amount of time.time. Industrial capitalism thrived on the concept of scientific management where a fast-paced environment meant more production and more benefits to those in power. For example, the film depicts the general work routine of the factory through the use of an assembly line, while the manager sits in his office and monitors everything that happens through a screen. The assembly line required workers' work to be "dictated by the machine," as this method "minimized unnecessary movement and greatly increased productivity." Watching everything through a screen, the manager loses his sense of realism since he didn't physically get up to go and see the intense, rigorous and mentally exhausting work that the workers had to endure. The manager ignores the conditions in which the workers are placed because while he watches them work, he first works on a puzzle, reads the newspaper, then looks at the screen, which are all forms of entertainment. Since the manager is one of the few individuals to have a voice in the film, this also shows that the workers had no say against the “hierarchy of supervisors and managers” and that the superiors simply ignored the workers. workers in the Great Depression experienced alienation from capitalism as their superiors decided what they did and when they did it. This ultimately dehumanized workers in general. Workers at the time did not have the freedom to choose how to work. The scene where the workers were fired from the factory also depicts how the workers were equivalent to interchangeable parts, where the workers' output could always be replaced. Chaplin's depiction of industrial capitalism in terms of scientific management reflects the hierarchical and unfair method of working, driven by profits and over which workers have no control. Another aspect of industrial capitalism was the international division of labor in which imports and exports were crucial to a country's economic success. While a developed country may benefit from importing raw materials, not everyone in that country will benefit. For example, there is a scene where Gamine steals bananas from a barrel on a ship. In the twentieth century it was common to import items from Southern Hemisphere countries, especially bananas. During the time of the Great Depression, bananas were becoming increasingly popular as they were considered a new and exotic fruit by many people in the United States. However, this also meant that there were those who could not afford this imported fruit, let alone any other imported goods. The industrial capitalist system prevented all members of a society from obtaining the same benefits as those who were fortunate enough to afford them. Also, there was a scene where the Tramp worked at the same shipyard that the Gamine stole bananas from, and then purposely let the unfinished ship sail out to sea. The Tramp's actions in this scene could have had a domino effect in which other countries and the United States itself would suffer economically if they fell behind schedule on imports and exports due to the loss of a single large merchant ship at sea. International trade has played a huge role during.