Review of À Nous la Liberté (1931) by Valerie M — 31 Aug 2011

Going beyond the usual Clair vs. Chaplin debate, A Nous la Liberté is a superior film in terms of satire and criticism. The neoliberal motors of the "organization and progress" motto carry the idea that "work is liberty"; not only that is a lie, but also an idea carried out by modern industrialization enterprises and factories. Addressing such hard topics in a comedic, slapstick way is one of the most unusual moves I've ever seen in cinema (Chaplin may have thought the same). Hence, the ending is a hilarious irony: the substitution of labor by machines and capital caused the exact opposite result. That's the motto of exploitation: "either you accept my preposterous wage or you can eat dust".

99/100.