MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: Modern Times (w/ Pedro Ángel Rivera Muñoz)

On this week’s MVC, Rivka and Frank are joined by Pedro Ángel Rivera Muñoz (filmmaker, political writer, and activist) to discuss Charlie Chaplin’s anti-capitalist masterpiece Modern Times.

The group unpacks how this 1939 cinema classic is more relevant than ever with its grotesque depiction of factory working conditions, its satire of the ruling class and state power, and the aspirational message of its ending. They also discuss the historical context of Chaplin as a political artist during the 1930s, and the retribution he received at the time. Rivka and Frank then chat about the impacts of commodification on their own work and artistic endeavors.

A rough transcript of the episode is available here.

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