二十年代的美国处于经济萧条时期,失业率居高不下,工人受尽压榨,成为了大机器生产中的一颗螺丝钉。查理(查理·卓别林 Charles Chaplin 饰)就是一个底层市民,他在一个机器隆隆的厂房里日以继夜地工作,以赚取微薄的收入。重复繁重的工作压得他喘不过气,他把人们的鼻子当成螺丝钉来拧,卷入流水线机器的皮带里,令人苦笑不得。 查理尽管贫穷,但却很善良。他在路上搭救了流浪女,和她一起生活,家里破烂却又温馨。每次身无分文的查理为了找到吃的,都会故意犯事,以便进入监牢。光景一时间有了好转,流浪女成了歌舞红星,然而好景太短暂了。Chaplins last 'silent' film, filled with sound effects, was made when everyone else was making talkies. Charlie turns against modern society, the machine age, (The use of sound in films ?) and progress. Firstly we see him frantically trying to keep up with a production line, tightening bolts. He is selected for an experiment with an automatic feeding machine, but various mishaps leads his boss to believe he has gone mad, and Charlie is sent to a mental hospital... When he gets out, he is mistaken for a communist while waving a red flag, sent to jail, foils a jailbreak, and is let out again. We follow Charlie through many more escapades before the film is out.