Essay on Great Dictator.doc

7/24/2019 Essay on Great Dictator.doc

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The Great Dictator

The Great Dictator is a 1940 American satirical political comedy-drama film starring,

written, produced, scored, and directed by harlie haplin! The film was originally meant to

satiri"e Adolph #itler and condemn the $a"i party and its %alues! At the time of its first

release, the &nited 'tates was still formally at peace with $a"i Germany! haplin(s film

ad%anced a stirring, contro%ersial condemnation of Adolf #itler, )enito *ussolini(s fascism,

antisemitism, and the $a"is!

+n summary, the films plot was about a certain ewish barber who sa%es the life of a

wounded pilot, 'chult", during 191. with the collapse of the Tomainian /German army, but

loses his own memory through concussion! ast-forward twenty years, and the barber escapes

from his care-home to return to the ghetto, now go%erned by stormtroopers reporting to

'chult", who has been promoted in the Tomainian regime under the ruthless dictator Adenoid

#yn2el /#itler, who belie%es in a purely Aryan state and wants nothing more than to be

emperor of the world, and loo2s li2e an identical twin of the barber /both played by haplin!

As #yn2el orders a purge of the ews, 'chult" protests about this new policy, and is

3ailed! #e escapes to hide in the ghetto with the barber and his girlfriend #annah!

'tormtroopers search the ghetto, arresting 'chult" and the barber, while #annah and her

family escape to freedom in sterlich /Austria! )ut after a failed attempt to ally with

$apaloni /*ussolini, #yn2el in%ades sterlich!

5scaping from the camp in stolen uniforms, 'chult" and the barber, dressed as


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#yn2el, arri%e at the sterlich frontier, where a huge parade is waiting to be addressed by

#yn2el! 'chult" tells the barber to go up to the platform and pretend to be #yn2el, as the only

way to sa%e their li%es! The terrified barber mounts the steps, but is inspired to sei"e the

initiati%e! Announcing that he /apparently #yn2el has had a change of heart, he ma2es an

impassioned plea for brotherhood and goodwill! #e addresses a message of hope to #annah,

in case she can hear him!

#onestly, + am not %ery fond of classical mo%ies! 6articularly, +m not well-pleased

with the cinematic or special effects /music and %ideography of these mo%ies as well as the

%iew of old-fashioned people which includes their lifestyle, technology, and architecture!

#owe%er, it doesnt mean + hate the old or past generations, 3ust that it doesnt suit my taste!

Despite these things, + did find the mo%ie entertaining and inspiring in the sense that it

opened my mind to the e7periences of the people during the war and awareness of human

greediness, pridefulness, and hunger for power!

%erall, the mo%ie was indeed effecti%e in ma2ing the audience laugh considering it

was an old film and probably using old humor! These were mostly seen during the globe

scene of Adenoid #yn2el, in the barbershop with musical synchroni"ation while the barber

was attending a customer, and in many other parts of the mo%ie! Although the film was a

parodical comedy, haplin ob%iously wanted to con%ey a meaningful message to the %iewers!

This was emphasi"ed when the barber was deli%ering a speech to the rest of the world!

April 88, 801

The Great Dictators Speech


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'urprisingly, in his first spea2ing role on screen, harlie haplin made one of the

most mo%ing and thought-pro%o2ing speeches in history! harlie haplin used this medium

of the film /The Great Dictator, 1940 to lament the pessimism, %iolence and greed that had

o%erta2en the :free and beautiful; way of life that is inherent in human nature!

#e claimed that humanity has sacrificed the responsibility to pro%ide a more than

machinery, we need humanity? more that cle%erness we need 2indness and gentleness!

=ithout these the hate of men will pass and

dictators will die and the power they too2 from the people will return to the people and so

long as men die now liberty will ne%er perish; supplied the perfect pathos at that moment in

time where commotions of war were in uproar!


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This was such an adoring attribute of haplin because he used his influence and talent

o%er the film industry not only for profitable purposes but also to influence his %iewers about

the essence of peace and democracy and fighting for freedom! haplins emotionally

saturated statements instill a series of feelings in his audience, beginning with penance,

leading to hope, and then finishing with elation and moti%ation to create a better world where

all people are granted liberty and happiness!

According to 'a%annah )oothe, :At a time when the world seemed to be crumbling,

harlie haplin pro%ided a call to action to re%i%e the state of humanity! )y accessing a

powerful deli%ery and a %ery stimulating emotional proposal, he effecti%ely con3ures up the

deterioration of liberty and energi"es his world audience to :fight to free the world, to do

away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance;! #e fully e%o2es

his audience to stand against in3ustice and to unite together against the :unnatural men;,

mainly the great dictator #itler! #e pro%ides the world with a reason and a%enue to better life

for all!;

April 88, 801

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