ESL Blogs

The Great Dictator's Speech

Here, I'm going to talk about Chaplin's speech in one of his best movies called the Great Dictator.

He was a British film actor and director who worked mainly in the US in humorous silent films during the 1920s. He usually appeared as a humorous character who had a small mustache, a bowler hat and a walking stick, and who walked in a funny way with the backs of his feet together and his toes pointing out to the sides. He was born in 1889 and passed away in 1977 [he lived just 88 years].

The Great Dictator Is a 1940 American satirical political comedy-drama film starring, written, produced, scored, and directed by Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. I called it Satirical as Chaplin has tried to make Adolf Hitler and Germany seen funny so that the people will see their faults. For example he has used Adenoid Hynkel instead of Adolf Hitler and Tomainia instead of Germany.

Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker To continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was Chaplin's first true talking picture as well as his most commercially successful film.

In the movie Chaplin plays two different roles. 1st, As a Jewish barber in the ghetto [the main character]. The Barber is a soldier during WWI [World War one] and loses his memory for about 20 years. He is then wanted by Hynkel. He later becomes friends with Schultz and becomes the leader of Tomainia. 2nd, As Adenoid Hynkel [instead of Adolf Hitler]. Hynkel is the Dictator of Tomainia and attacks the Jews with his storm troopers. [About storm troopers: they were members of a special group of German soldiers in the Second World War.] He has Schultz arrested and has his storm troopers hunt down the Barber. Hynkel is later arrested by his own soldiers, who mistake him for the Barber.

at the End of the movie, Chaplin or barber mistaken for Hynkel made his impressive speech to the people and also to the world ...

I mentioned his wonderful speech as an initial step to address this particular issue namely Humanity and all the disasters that we're facing today due to human rights violations all over the Globe.

In the following, You can Watch Chaplin's impressive speech and also the transcript.

transcript

I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness - not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

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.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers! don't give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don't hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: "the Kingdom of God is within man" - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! 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!