Charlie Chaplin movies
This blog task is given by Barad Dilipsir. It is part of thinking activity of the both movies by Charlie Chaplin 'The Modern Times' and ' The Great Dictator'.
Modern Times :
Modern Times is a 1936 American part-talkie comedy film produced, written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. In Chaplin's last performance as the iconic Little Tramp, his character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film also stars Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford and Chester Conklin.
Modern Times has won many awards and honors, and is widely considered one of the greatest films ever. It was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The movie Modern Times (1936) by Charlie Chaplin depicts the struggles of the working class in an industrialized society. A specific visual that captures "the event of men herd" could be the iconic factory scenes where workers are herded into mechanical routines, symbolizing dehumanization. Similarly, for "the event of animal herd," consider moments where machinery and industrialization are likened to the monotonous behavior of animals in a herd, underscoring loss of individuality.
One of the most memorable and often referenced scenes involves Chaplin's character working on an assembly line, tightening bolts at an increasingly fast pace. The factory machinery moves relentlessly, and the workers must keep up with the speed, resulting in physical strain and mental exhaustion. The scene highlights the alienation and lack of control the workers experience, emphasizing how industrial labor reduces individuals to mere extensions of machines.The habit of Chaplin’s character moving his hands during work is a key visual symbol in the movie. His hand movements become erratic and exaggerated as he struggles to keep up with the rhythm of the factory. The constant, mechanical motion reflects the loss of individual agency, as workers are compelled to repeat actions in a robotic manner. This gesture represents the loss of autonomy and personal identity in the relentless machine of industrialization.
\
In Modern Times, Chaplin’s Tramp prefers prison because it offers stability, food, and shelter—luxuries absent in the harsh, chaotic outside world during the Great Depression. The structured life in prison feels safer and less dehumanizing than the industrialized, exploitative society. It’s a satirical take on a world where freedom can be harsher than confinement.
In Modern Times, the cracked house scene unfolds as the Tramp and the Gamin find shelter in a ramshackle shack after dreaming of a better life. The house is comically unstable—doors barely hang, the roof leaks, and the bed collapses. Despite these challenges, the two laugh and work together to make it livable.
Chaplin brings humor to their struggle, such as when the wind threatens to blow the house apart, and the Tramp cleverly patches holes with random items. The scene is heartwarming, showing their determination to create a home, however imperfect, and their ability to find joy even in the direst circumstances.
The ending of Modern Times (1936), a silent comedy film by Charlie Chaplin, is iconic and bittersweet. In the final scenes, Chaplin's character, the Tramp, is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit but is later released. He is reunited with the Gamin, a young woman he met earlier in the film. Together, they walk down the road, hopeful for a brighter future, despite the difficult circumstances they face.
The final shot, with the two of them walking hand in hand toward an uncertain future, is both uplifting and poignant. Chaplin's trademark optimism shines through even in the face of adversity, suggesting resilience and the possibility of better times ahead, even in a harsh world. The film ends with the music of Chaplin’s famous score accompanying their hopeful walk.
The Great Dictator :
The movie opens with a dramatic and chaotic scene of soldiers in combat, showing the harshness of war. The soldiers are fighting in a trench, and there is confusion, disorganization, and a general sense of suffering. These opening moments are filled with humor, as Chaplin, playing a Jewish barber, becomes involved in an accidental and comedic sequence that shows his character’s struggle amid the chaos.
The soldiers' problems in the beginning reflect the oppressive and absurd nature of war and totalitarianism. The depiction of these challenges helps set the stage for the movie's satirical exploration of dictatorship, and Chaplin’s dual role as both the dictator (Adenoid Hynkel) and the barber allows him to highlight the contrast between power and humility, tyranny and kindness.
This opening sequence, though comedic, establishes the movie's sharp political commentary and sets the tone for the rest of the film, which critiques the fascist regimes of the time while promoting ideals of peace, freedom, and humanity.
In The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin plays two main roles: the humble Jewish barber and Adenoid Hynkel, the dictator of Tomainia, a satirical portrayal of Adolf Hitler. There are several memorable and comedic scenes with Hynkel that emphasize the absurdity of dictatorship and Hynkel’s pompous nature.
Hynkel Fetching the Badges of His Soldiers
In one scene, Hynkel is inspecting his army and takes a very serious and exaggerated stance of authority. He attempts to pin badges onto his soldiers in a grandiose manner, but the situation is exaggerated and farcical. The badges are too large for the soldiers' uniforms, causing the scene to be both ridiculous and satirical. This moment pokes fun at the inflated ego of dictators, who often take themselves and their power too seriously, while the actual soldiers are caught in absurd situations.
Hynkel Taking Photos with the Baby or Ladies
Another iconic scene involves Hynkel’s interaction with women, where he is shown posing for photographs in a very self-important way. At one point, he poses dramatically with a baby, trying to look as if he is the most important man in the world, full of vanity. This scene is a parody of how dictators often try to cultivate an image of being benevolent and loved by the people, while the actions are awkward and forced.
Hynkel Rubbing His Hands with a Handkerchief
Perhaps one of the most memorable comedic moments in the film occurs when Hynkel, after touching something or shaking hands with someone, takes out a handkerchief to rub his hands in a very exaggerated and fastidious manner. This is a satirical gesture that highlights the dictator's obsessive cleanliness and sense of superiority, making fun of the absurdity of a leader who is so obsessed with his own image that even the most trivial actions become moments of exaggerated self-importance.
These scenes use Chaplin's signature blend of slapstick and satire to mock the arrogance and vanity of dictatorships, as well as to reveal the ridiculousness of a man who is supposed to be a leader but is shown to be profoundly out of touch with reality.
Charlie Chaplin uses several visual and narrative symbols to critique and mock the rise of fascism, particularly the Nazi regime, and to convey the absurdity of dictatorship. One of the most striking and symbolic moments occurs when Chaplin's character, Adenoid Hynkel (a parody of Adolf Hitler), has a moment of reflection and "looks at the world."
The Scene of Hynkel Looking at the World
At one point in the film, Hynkel stands in front of a globe, symbolizing his desire for world domination. This moment is both comedic and dark, as Hynkel’s exaggerated gestures and facial expressions show his ambition to control everything. He envisions himself as the ruler of the world, moving his hands dramatically over the globe, which is meant to be a ridiculous portrayal of a dictator’s delusions of grandeur.
The scene is not just about Hynkel’s desire for power, but it also highlights the megalomaniacal nature of fascist leaders. The use of the globe as a prop underscores the global scale of their ambitions and the way dictators like Hitler sought to reshape the world according to their own vision.
The Symbol of the Nazi Regime
Chaplin also cleverly uses visual symbols to parody Nazi iconography. The film’s depiction of Hynkel's military is filled with exaggerated and absurd symbols that echo Nazi imagery. For instance, Hynkel’s private army wears uniforms that resemble those of the Nazis, with the infamous swastika symbol appearing throughout the film, albeit in a way that distorts and mocks its true meaning.
In one iconic scene, Hynkel is seen playing with a large globe, and he dramatically "dances" with it, imagining himself as the conqueror of the world. The scene parodies Hitler’s grandiosity and the way totalitarian leaders viewed themselves as larger-than-life figures destined to reshape the world. It’s a moment that reflects the dangerous delusions of dictatorship, but it is presented in a manner that invites ridicule and laughter.
There's a satirical scene where a sculptor and a painter are forced to create artwork for Adenoid Hynkel, symbolizing how art and creativity are exploited under a totalitarian regime. The scene unfolds when Hynkel demands the sculptor and painter to create portraits and sculptures that glorify him.
The Scene with the Sculptor and Painter
In the scene, Hynkel is shown giving orders to the artist to create grand, idealized images of him, demanding perfection and total devotion to his image. The artist, who had previously been independent and free in their creative expression, becomes a "slave" to Hynkel's whims, unable to create anything other than the dictator's glorified representation.
The artists are forced into servitude, with their art no longer an expression of freedom or individuality but instead a tool for propaganda and control. The scene highlights the way dictatorships manipulate and control culture, reducing art to mere tools of power and turning artists into instruments for promoting a leader’s image and ideology.
Chaplin uses this moment to criticize the way totalitarian regimes stifle creativity, freedom, and expression, forcing artists to create works that serve the state rather than the pursuit of truth or beauty. The humor and absurdity of the scene make the message even more biting and clear.
In The Great Dictator, the bird in the cage symbolizes oppression and the loss of freedom under a dictatorship. The trapped bird, unable to fly, represents how people in totalitarian regimes are confined, their freedom and expression stifled. The image critiques how dictatorships control and restrict individual liberty.
The end of The Great Dictator is both powerful and emotional. In the final scene, Charlie Chaplin’s character, the Jewish barber, delivers a passionate speech, which is intended for Hynkel, the dictator, but instead, it is a message to the world. The barber, who has been mistaken for Hynkel, speaks out against tyranny, oppression, and war, calling for peace, unity, and the end of dictatorship.
He urges people to reject hatred and embrace love, freedom, and compassion. The speech is Chaplin’s plea for a better world, where humanity prevails over greed and power. Despite the speech being filled with earnestness, it is an uplifting moment that contrasts with the earlier absurdity of the dictatorship.
The film ends with the barber’s speech concluding, and the camera pulls away to show the hopeful faces of the people in the crowd, suggesting that change and hope are possible. The final message is one of optimism and human dignity, emphasizing the power of compassion and the potential for a brighter future, even in the face of oppression.
Comments
Post a Comment