Page 66 - All About History - Issue 33-15

ThefallofCharlieChaplin

Paulette Goddard and
Charlie Chaplin

speechbeinggivenbythecharacterofTheBarber, ThecamerapushesinonHynkelashelooks film received a cooler reception and, as Chaplin’s
performed by Chaplin, in which he includes the spellboundattheglobe,whichwethenseeis career became evermore successful and well
followingstatement:“Greedhaspoisonedmen’s justabigballoonthatheplayswithlikeadancer. regarded, forces came into play that sought to
souls,hasbarricadedtheworldwithhate,has Atthispoint,asenseofrealismgiveswayto neutralise his cultural and political resonance.
goose-steppedusintomiseryandbloodshed.We something more fanciful, allowing Chaplin to use Like Modern Times, The Great Dictator reminds
have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves us that often comedy is the best route to saying
in.Machinerythatgivesabundancehasleftusin “Anti-communists in something ‘meaningful’ about a subject. The
want.” In this moment of the film, Chaplin’s movie film made Chaplin lots of friends and plenty of
is no longer a fiction but instead functions more the US pointed to what enemies, crating new tensions for Chaplin and
as an overt piece of propaganda, stating clearly the renewing and reigniting others. In Germany, it
need for a culture that’s empathetic to difference they considered hard was an unpopular film release, a fact that may
ratherthanfearfulofitorviolenttowardsit. evidence of Chaplin’s not surprise. That said, in the 1920s, a number
Oneofthemostresonantscenesinthefilm of German intellectuals had found much to
runsaboutsevenminutesindurationandcentres left-wing politics” appreciate in Chaplin’s movies.
aroundHynkelinitiallytalkingabouthisideasfor In concert with Chaplin’s professional angst
a perfect race, before then becoming entranced around the reception of his film and the attacks
byaglobeshowingamapoftheworldwrapped a playful metaphor to express his repulsion at how on his political sympathies, he also had to contend
aroundit.Hynkel’sgesturesandhisperformance therealworldcanbetoyedwithbythosewho with a volley of personal dilemmas; notably a
arecampandsilly–notthegestureswemight abuse power. paternity suit. As part of their written assault
expectofamanhell-bentonworlddomination. While The Great Dictator was hugely popular in to diminish Chaplin, a cultural icon in his own
How can we take such a figure seriously? Britain,intheUSA(whereithadbeenmade),the lifetime, the FBI exploited the paternity suit
Charlie on the big screen

The Kid 1921 The Gold Rush 1925 The Circus 1928 City Lights 1931 Modern Times 1936
The Tramp Lone Prospector The Tramp The Tramp A Factory Worker

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