Write a paragraph or two that discusses your personal reaction to seeing Charlie Chaplin’s film, The Great Dictator. Please post your response as a comment and bring a copy to class next week for us to discuss together.
“Greed has poisoned men's souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.”—Charlie Chaplin; from his speech at the end of The Great Dictator
No matter what came before (and I liked much of what I saw), I know now that the film, for Chaplin, was something much more than only a film. He wanted the chance to speak to us directly, although he had already been speaking to humanity for years through his persona, the tramp.
His words, no matter how misplaced they might be in the film, ring true even today. How much more greedy we are now! That “kindness and gentleness” is surely lacking in our communities here in Vancouver (and no, I don’t only mean the Stanley Cup riot or the gang shootings here). Charlie Chaplin gave us his best and, in the end, it did not matter; he was only one man, after all. The film was popular, true, but it lead to criticism of his politics and his eventual exile to Switzerland.
One scene stands out in my mind, the famous one with Chaplin (as the dictator) and his balloon version of the world. I laughed at his audacity (the bounce off his bum was a favourite), but got the “point” literally when the balloon exploded to end the ballet. Chaplin’s physical comedy never fails to amaze me. He was nearly 50 as the film was made! I have never ever been disappointed by Charlie Chaplin.
Always with playful joy, always with profound enlightenment, these are what I feel about Chaplin’s movie The Great Dictator. I get the satiric message pretty much when I watched Hynkel (the symbolic image of Adolf Hitler) dancing with the inflatable globe and giving that fiery speech time to time, which shows his obsession of power. It is very sarcastic when the globe suddenly popped in his hands.
Although the symbolic dictator was the most successful character in the movie, my heart goes to the Jewish barber. His kindness, courage, and optimism, may be a little blundering and absent minded, still make him a great man. The most impressive scene I remember is that Jewish barber doing his job to shave a customer. Stropping, shaving, toweling, and combing, all his actions cohered with Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No.5 perfectly. It took my breath to see his razor dancing with the music stream--very funny, but in graceful way.
There is a saying mentioned by Wikipedia, that Hitler watched this movie twice, but there is no record of what Hitler responded. I bet Chaplin would give everything to know what he said.
The feel from this movie was very different from the Kid. I could see and feel that he was making fun of Hitler. Hitler and his ways were a big joke. And we the viewer need to know this and not listen to Hitler. I liked the ballet scene where Hynkel plays with his globe as if he owned the world and it was his to do with as he pleases. I love that the balloon pops. A very bold statement describing Hitler’s character. I also loved Hannah. She was not afraid to stand up to the storm troopers. I think that made a bold statement as well. A female taking a stand and wanting to fight back for her town and the people in it. She was very brave and intelligent. More so than the men, as you could see in the scene with the pudding. Overall, I thought the film was funny and it was very entertaining. I thought the lecture fit in with the movie, even if it did change the mood. The Barber was in a position where he was mistaken for Hynkel. So he had an opportunity to speak his mind and put an end to the war and everything Hynkel stood for. It was a very powerful film and it deserved every award it won.
"The Great Dictator" is really quite outstanding, with amazing performances by Charlie Chaplin. He plays two roles; one as a dictator and the other as a poor Jewish barber. The Brilliant and wonderful acting abilities of Chaplin always get everyone’s attention. The movie is funny, thoughtful, serious and yet hopeful.
There’s a very funny and meaningful scene in film. When Chaplin dances with a large, balloon-like globe, he fantasizes about overtaking the world. The balloon of course, pops. Most of us may find it funny, but Chaplin’s message wasn’t just about being funny. In my opinion he wanted to send a message directly to Hitler. He wants to tell him “You may be able to overtake the world, but you will destroy it by your ideas.” Hitler’s idea was life threatening, and he wanted to kill all the Jewish people and be the leader of the world.
Charlie Chaplin knew how to push injustices into the light of the world before the majority of people were prepared to deal with such issues.
It's really a wonderful movie. It deeply touched my heart when I finished to see the movie. Two similar people, a Hynkel dictator of Tomania and Jewish barber had the different status and power. Finally, the powerful dictator lost his power, but the powerless barber got more power to inspire all the soldiers and people to have free and happiness in the final speech. This speech wakened soldiers didn't be enslave by the dictators. Let them knew the fact that dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people. I like the other scene that the dictator immerse into having the sovereign power of the world. He gloated to play the lighting globe in the hands like to control the world. However, the tellurian was broken that symbolized destruction of the power. In other hand, I love this movie because it was full of humour, even through some scenes were in nervous, fight and formal situations. The humourous devices lubricated this terrible movie of the war and the great dictator. The audient will unconsciously were affected by the movie to feel the power of humanity.
“Greed has poisoned men's souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.”—Charlie Chaplin; from his speech at the end of The Great Dictator
ReplyDeleteNo matter what came before (and I liked much of what I saw), I know now that the film, for Chaplin, was something much more than only a film. He wanted the chance to speak to us directly, although he had already been speaking to humanity for years through his persona, the tramp.
His words, no matter how misplaced they might be in the film, ring true even today. How much more greedy we are now! That “kindness and gentleness” is surely lacking in our communities here in Vancouver (and no, I don’t only mean the Stanley Cup riot or the gang shootings here). Charlie Chaplin gave us his best and, in the end, it did not matter; he was only one man, after all. The film was popular, true, but it lead to criticism of his politics and his eventual exile to Switzerland.
One scene stands out in my mind, the famous one with Chaplin (as the dictator) and his balloon version of the world. I laughed at his audacity (the bounce off his bum was a favourite), but got the “point” literally when the balloon exploded to end the ballet. Chaplin’s physical comedy never fails to amaze me. He was nearly 50 as the film was made! I have never ever been disappointed by Charlie Chaplin.
Always with playful joy, always with profound enlightenment, these are what I feel about Chaplin’s movie The Great Dictator. I get the satiric message pretty much when I watched Hynkel (the symbolic image of Adolf Hitler) dancing with the inflatable globe and giving that fiery speech time to time, which shows his obsession of power. It is very sarcastic when the globe suddenly popped in his hands.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the symbolic dictator was the most successful character in the movie, my heart goes to the Jewish barber. His kindness, courage, and optimism, may be a little blundering and absent minded, still make him a great man. The most impressive scene I remember is that Jewish barber doing his job to shave a customer. Stropping, shaving, toweling, and combing, all his actions cohered with Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No.5 perfectly. It took my breath to see his razor dancing with the music stream--very funny, but in graceful way.
There is a saying mentioned by Wikipedia, that Hitler watched this movie twice, but there is no record of what Hitler responded. I bet Chaplin would give everything to know what he said.
The feel from this movie was very different from the Kid. I could see and feel that he was making fun of Hitler. Hitler and his ways were a big joke. And we the viewer need to know this and not listen to Hitler. I liked the ballet scene where Hynkel plays with his globe as if he owned the world and it was his to do with as he pleases. I love that the balloon pops. A very bold statement describing Hitler’s character. I also loved Hannah. She was not afraid to stand up to the storm troopers. I think that made a bold statement as well. A female taking a stand and wanting to fight back for her town and the people in it. She was very brave and intelligent. More so than the men, as you could see in the scene with the pudding. Overall, I thought the film was funny and it was very entertaining. I thought the lecture fit in with the movie, even if it did change the mood. The Barber was in a position where he was mistaken for Hynkel. So he had an opportunity to speak his mind and put an end to the war and everything Hynkel stood for. It was a very powerful film and it deserved every award it won.
ReplyDelete"The Great Dictator" is really quite outstanding, with amazing performances by Charlie Chaplin. He plays two roles; one as a dictator and the other as a poor Jewish barber. The Brilliant and wonderful acting abilities of Chaplin always get everyone’s attention. The movie is funny, thoughtful, serious and yet hopeful.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a very funny and meaningful scene in film. When Chaplin dances with a large, balloon-like globe, he fantasizes about overtaking the world. The balloon of course, pops. Most of us may find it funny, but Chaplin’s message wasn’t just about being funny. In my opinion he wanted to send a message directly to Hitler. He wants to tell him “You may be able to overtake the world, but you will destroy it by your ideas.” Hitler’s idea was life threatening, and he wanted to kill all the Jewish people and be the leader of the world.
Charlie Chaplin knew how to push injustices into the light of the world before the majority of people were prepared to deal with such issues.
I’m sure Chaplin’s fans will love this film.
It's really a wonderful movie. It deeply touched my heart when I finished to see the movie. Two similar people, a Hynkel dictator of Tomania and Jewish barber had the different status and power. Finally, the powerful dictator lost his power, but the powerless barber got more power to inspire all the soldiers and people to have free and happiness in the final speech. This speech wakened soldiers didn't be enslave by the dictators. Let them knew the fact that dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.
ReplyDeleteI like the other scene that the dictator immerse into having the sovereign power of the world. He gloated to play the lighting globe in the hands like to control the world. However, the tellurian was broken that symbolized destruction of the power.
In other hand, I love this movie because it was full of humour, even through some scenes were in nervous, fight and formal situations. The humourous devices lubricated this terrible movie of the war and the great dictator. The audient will unconsciously were affected by the movie to feel the power of humanity.