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The Great Dictator


We watched film The Great Dictator at the Department of English, MKBU as part of our background study of Modern literature. The Great Dictator is a 1940 American Political satire Comedy drama silent film and film maker well into the period of sound film. It was his first talking film. Film is  Written, Directed, Produced and scored by Charlie Chaplin. Film controversial condemnation of Adolf Hitler, fascism and the Nazis so, first question raised in our mind about Fascist, who were they and what they were doing? Fascist believe that liberal democracy  is obsolete and they regard the complete mobilization of society under a totalitarian. One party state as necessary to prepare a nation for armed conflict and to respond effectively to economic difficulties.


Charlie plays double roles: Persecuted Jewish Barber and Ruthless Fascist Dictator. Jewish barber fighting for nation Tomania, unknowingly he saves life of wounded pilot but, however their plane crushes and twenty years later He return to his previous  profession as barber in the Ghetto. Where he falls in love with his neighbor Hannah. In search of better and peaceful life they struggle a lot. Meanwhile Hynkel another role of Charlie tries to finance his ever growing military forces by borrowing money from Jewish barber. In all that matter both the character because of same look create a glitch.


Barber and Schultz,  escaping from the camp in stolen uniforms, dressed as Hynkel, arrive at the Osterlich frontier, where a huge victory-parade is waiting to be addressed by Hynkel. The real Hynkel is mistaken for the Barber while out duck hunting in civilian clothes and is knocked out and taken to the camp. Schultz tells the Barber to go to the platform and impersonate Hynkel, as the only way to save their lives once they reach Osterlich's capital. The Barber has never given a public speech in his life, but he has no other choice.(Wikipedia) and he tries to give speech. It is the great message we admire him for that.


Speech of Barber as Hynkel in film.

You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then – in the name of democracy – let us use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world – a decent world that will give men a chance to work – that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfill that promise! Let us fight to free the world – to do away with national barriers – to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite ! 
The soul of man has been given wings, and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow – into the light of hope, into the future, the glorious future that belongs to you, to me, and to all of us. 

This message and film out at such a time it brought light to painful period of darkness and actually gives a huge message of peace ironically in the end of speech. It seems strong connection with Gandhian idea of non-violence and peace.


Modern critics have praised it as a historically significant film and an important work of satire. In 1938, Hitler was not yet recognized in all quarters as the embodiment of evil. Powerful isolationist forces in America preached a policy of nonintervention in the troubles of Europe, and rumors of Hitler's policy to exterminate the Jews were welcomed by anti-Semitic groups. Some of Hitler's earliest opponents, including anti-Franco American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, were later seen as "premature antifascists"; by fighting against fascism when Hitler was still considered an ally, they raised suspicion that they might be communists. "The Great Dictator" ended with a long speech denouncing dictatorships, and extolling democracy and individual freedoms. This sounded to the left like bedrock American values, but to some on the right, it sounded pinko. 

(work taken from review of film for more reading click on that.) 


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