Modern-Modern Times

In American Studies class the other day we watched Modern Times, a Charlie Chaplin satirical comedy that came out during the Great Depression, a poverty stricken time that's comparable to the economic crisis today. Apparently movie fans in New York City had the same idea, because this month, according to CBS news, they have been lining up for a showing of Modern Times, with tickets being sold at the depression-era price of 35 cents a ticket.
Of course one of the purposes of the showing was to be simple fun, and get people's minds off of the current financial crisis. This is demonstrated by the old newsreel reports, the band playing "Depression-era tunes", and even the bread handed out on the sidelines to get people in the right mood for the movie. However, it also served a deeper purpose. These movies serve as a common activity for people during a time when they feel so alone. They can come together and be supportive, even through just sitting in the same theater. According to Patron Perry Grumman, "People wanted to team up because there was too many people out of work, too many people who were suffering, and they kind of looked out for each other." Perhaps the producers of these movies are smarter than we thought, and the element of unifying the people is something we need in our current times.