Film screening of "The Great Dictator" By Charlie Chaplin

On 30th june 2018 we have watched "The Great Dictator" by Charlie Chaplin. This was the first film with dialogues by Chaplin. It was released in 1940.

Background

It was the time when the second world war was about to happen. That time Hitler was at the top position in Germany. Charlie Chaplin has taken many sequence as a kind of parody from the  "Triumph of the will" in his film "The Great Dictator". "Triumph of the Will" is the Natzi Prapaganda film.
Charlie Chaplin and Hitler-
Both have Same year and month of birth- April 1889, same physical appearance, same popularity. But the only difference is that one makes people weep whereas the other makes people laugh.

Double role: opposite in nature

Charlie Chaplin Played double role in this film. The one is Hynkle the Dictator and the second one is Jewish Barber in the Ghetto. Both the characters are totally opposite in nature. At one side Barber is innocent and compassionate whereas Hynkle is cruel and arrogant ruler.


Reflection of Modern Age in the film

i) Surreal effect

Means real but in a awkward way. In the film when the plane of captain Schultz was flying along with the Barber and the captain himself then suddenly it turned down but still Both Jewish Barber and Captain remain in the sitting position without any effect this seems real but was only produced the surreal effect.

ii) Technology

In  the film there is huge machines used in wars to throw out Bombs, Bullets etc. This shows the huge development of machines in the modern era. Even their is scene of Radio also which cast the show Happy hours, but symbolically it indicates the sad hours.

iii) Pacifistic view

In the film the character of the Jewish Barber shows the pacifistic view towards war. he never wants any kind of war. Even when he misunderstood as the dictator Hynkle and supposed to give speech on the victory over the Osterlich. HE simply gives very effective speech about he destruction of the wars. He says that he never wants to rule the world. His motive is only to live happily and with democracy. He believes in equality.

iv) Esoteric

Esoteric is the key term in the modern age. It means only few learned scholar can understood, not understood by all. We find the esoteric view when The Dictator hynkle giving the speech. He speaks Gibberish language which was not understood by all the peoples. But still peoples behave like that they understood each and every thing.

v) Human rights

The basic human rights of equality, freedom was shown in this film. The Jewish people are not getting the equality by the people who are in rule. All the police man used to tortured the Jews and behaves with cruelty. Even the right of freedom to live anywhere is snatched by those cruel rulers. The Jewish are not free to live happily anywhere. By being disturbed by the ruling power the Jewish decided to go somewhere where they can find peace. They all settled in the peace country Osterlich. But Hynle couldnt tolerate it and he signed the treaty with the Napaloni and coquered the victory over that land also. In this way the human rights are exploited has been shown in this film.

vi) Intellectual dictorial

Intellectual dictorial is bad because  arrogance came in every talk just like The Dictator Hynkle did.



Others Importanct scenes in the film

i) Satire on artificial boundary

The boundaries which was made by the humans are artificial. In the war  the Jewish Barber accidently crosses the boundary becomes in fog he was unable to notice or follow his fellow soldiers.

One writer Jamal Ahmed writes in his short story about a girl named Gul that how she accidentaly crosses the border and was killed.

ii) Stategy of Political leaders for giving speech

It was becomes the common strategy to connect the audience emotional in the name of nationalism. Hence this strategy is also used by the great Dictator Hynkle who becomes emotional in the end of the speech when the feeling of patriotism came. In this way the audience were easily emotionally fooled by the leaders.

iii) Satire on Typewriters

There was one scene when Hynkle was speaking and the girl was typing. He speaks single word and the girl typed too much, but when he speaks too much the girl typed only one.
This was the satire on the translaters of the political leaders who knows everything what the leaders are supposed to speak and therefore the speech was already made by them before they speak any thing.

iv) Red Carpet

There was one bad tradition that whenever any great leader arrives, they had to put the red carpet on the ground. When Napalini arrives in tromainia, Hynkle welcomes him in the same manner.

v) Children and the leaders

There was always a connection between the political leaders and the Children. In the film also we can find that after the victory how childrens are welcoming the dictator Hynkle and Hynkel also shows his great affection towards the children.

In India aslo the name of the polical Leader Jawaharlal Nehru came as chacha nehru for the children and even at his birth date children day was celebrated.

vi) Playing with the balloon of globe

In the film there was one scene  when the Hynkle was dreming about ruling the world and in that feeling he started playing with  the balloon of globe. This shows how the  leader have too much Pride and plays with the feellings of the countrymen.

Conclusion

In this way the film presents the condition of the modern age. And how the countrymen are suffering with the hazard of the war. How the spoiled leader controlling the weaker community and misusing their power. This film remains the great representative of the times and the last speech by the Jewish Barber remains the worthy speech till the present time.