Page "Charlie Chaplin" Paragraph 80

Chaplin portrayed social outcasts and the poor in a sympathetic light in his films from early on.

His silent films usually centred on the Tramp's plight in poverty and his run-ins with the law, but also explored controversial topics, such as immigration ( The Immigrant, 1917 ), illegitimacy ( The Kid, 1921 ) and drug use ( Easy Street, 1917 ).

Although this can be seen as social commentary, Chaplin's films did not contain overt political themes or messages until later on his career in the 1930s.

Modern Times ( 1936 ), which depicted factory workers in dismal conditions, was the first of his films that was seen by critics to contain an anti-capitalist message, although Chaplin denied the film being in any way political.

However, his next films, The Great Dictator ( 1940 ), a parody on Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini that ended in a dramatic speech criticising the blind following patriotic nationalism, and Monsieur Verdoux ( 1947 ), which criticised war and capitalism, as well as his first European film A King in New York ( 1957 ), which ridiculed the U. S. House Un-American Activities Committee, were more clearly political and caused controversy.