Charlie Chaplin
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- Date Submitted: 03/29/2011 02:57 AM
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Charlie Chaplin/ Final Speech
While many silent film stars have been forgotten.” Charlie Chaplin" is still a household name in most of the world. Charlie Chaplin was a British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer who was and still is regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. His most famous character, the Tramp, was a short, twitchy man with a black moustache, baggy suit and a waddling penguin-like walk.
Chaplin gained stardom after living most of his childhood in poverty. Whether it was his acting or his rags to riches story; he appealed to every person. Even Adolf Hitler loved Chaplin so much that he trimmed his handlebar moustache to match Chaplin’s Tramp character– which was ironic because Chaplin had very strong anti-fascist views and therefore one can assume he resented Hitler.
Chaplin’s first talking picture ‘The Great Dictator’ was an effect of defiance against Nazism, it was filmed and released in the year before the US abandoned its neutrality and joined World War II. Chaplin played the role of ‘Adenoid Hynkel’, Dictator of Tomania; it was an obvious mockery of Adolph Hitler.
Hynkel is shown to be an extreme, nasty and vicious man without an ounce of humanity. Through this character, Chaplin reveals his true thoughts on Hitler; a man whose power and greatness is nothing but empty overconfidence and meaningless dribble. Chaplin allows the viewer to laugh at a low, disgraceful and unpleasant individual.
In addition to Hynkel, he also played a look-alike Jewish barber, who lived in the Tomanian ghettos. Towards the end of the film, the two characters switch places in a rather confusing manner. The barber must address the public as Hynkel, realising he has the opportunity to reveal the horrors of the regime he drops out of his comedic character. He gives an inspired speech that is interpreted as an out-of-character personal plea from Chaplin, a plea that attacks...
While many silent film stars have been forgotten.” Charlie Chaplin" is still a household name in most of the world. Charlie Chaplin was a British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer who was and still is regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. His most famous character, the Tramp, was a short, twitchy man with a black moustache, baggy suit and a waddling penguin-like walk.
Chaplin gained stardom after living most of his childhood in poverty. Whether it was his acting or his rags to riches story; he appealed to every person. Even Adolf Hitler loved Chaplin so much that he trimmed his handlebar moustache to match Chaplin’s Tramp character– which was ironic because Chaplin had very strong anti-fascist views and therefore one can assume he resented Hitler.
Chaplin’s first talking picture ‘The Great Dictator’ was an effect of defiance against Nazism, it was filmed and released in the year before the US abandoned its neutrality and joined World War II. Chaplin played the role of ‘Adenoid Hynkel’, Dictator of Tomania; it was an obvious mockery of Adolph Hitler.
Hynkel is shown to be an extreme, nasty and vicious man without an ounce of humanity. Through this character, Chaplin reveals his true thoughts on Hitler; a man whose power and greatness is nothing but empty overconfidence and meaningless dribble. Chaplin allows the viewer to laugh at a low, disgraceful and unpleasant individual.
In addition to Hynkel, he also played a look-alike Jewish barber, who lived in the Tomanian ghettos. Towards the end of the film, the two characters switch places in a rather confusing manner. The barber must address the public as Hynkel, realising he has the opportunity to reveal the horrors of the regime he drops out of his comedic character. He gives an inspired speech that is interpreted as an out-of-character personal plea from Chaplin, a plea that attacks...