Frame study of 'The Great Dictator' by Charlie Chaplin
TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-
This blog is a part of a thinking activity titled with ThAct: Understanding the Zeitgeist of the 20th century: From Modern Times to the era of The Great Dictators assigned by Dilip Barad sir. In this blog you can find Frame study of the movie 'Modern Times' by Charlie Chaplin. This topic of Frame study context with The Setting of 20th Century by AC Ward. For more information read the blog of Dilip Barad Sir (Click here).
CHARLIE CHAPLIN:-
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin worldly known as Charlie Chaplin. He was born on April 16, 1889 in London, England and died on December 25, 1977 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. He was a British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer who is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history. (Barson)
From childhood he showed so much poverty in his life. His mother too suffered from mental problems. He used to wander everywhere for food. His acting career was difficult too. He had a problem with stammering. It could be the reason that he chose silent movies. And we got Charlie Chaplin as the satirist who can satire without saying any word. He made funny movies behind The Mask of satire.
FRAME STUDY:-
'Frame' is adopted by Photography. The first objective of framing is not to create a picture worth a thousand words; it is to advance the motion picture’s narrative. (Framing)
This study is a study of frames and videos of a movie. What is the hidden meaning in this frame and what are the other messages it gives. Metaphors, symbols, movements, angles etc one have to analyze properly in frames, from frames.
Not only in movies but one can find news through frames.
The Hindu Newspaper (11 December, 2022)
For the blog of frame study on 'Modern Times' Click here.
ABOUT THE MOVIE:-
'The Great Dictator' is a black comedy, anti war, political satire movie released on 15 October 1940 in New York. This movie was directed, produced, and written by Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, Reginald Gardiner, Billy Gilbert, Maurice Moscovich are the star cast of the movie. Cinematography done by Karl Struss and Roland Totheroh.
"We think too much and feel too little."
This movie is a satire on Adolf Hitler and ridicules his ruling style. In this film he performs two roles, first one as Hitler and second as an ordinary Jew person. War can be considered as a theme of this movie.
FRAME 1:-
This is a story of two world wars between 1914 to 1945 when everyone started to cause their loved ones death and attacks. The Freedom of people has disappeared and there is nothing like humanity. Through his lines Chaplin shows us the dark side of the time and how people behave with each other. At the time of World War II the dictatorship started to kill innocent people. They were killed only because they were of a particular nation. So, the first note in the starting of the movie seems important for understanding the time of World War.
FRAME 2:-
In this frame he satirize that need of people in war was in maximum number so the person who are afraid of loud sound and not aware that what he has to do next also joined while now if one wants to go to army or any kind of fight they have to aware about circumstances and should have their own mind. But of course in this case too soldiers have to do what the commander says to do.
FRAME 3:-
In this frame we can see THE HUMANITY. The person who is less important is sent to check the missile. one after second and second after third command each other for checking the missile. But the person chosen is not that important to them.
FRAME 4:-
This frame has a little gravity mistake in it. Charlie said that 'seem to be defying the laws of gravity' cause the plane was upside down and his watch is floating in the air and he thinks that it's straight. But at the same time in the next frame it seems through the number of plans that it is straight though in the movie it was presented as upside down.
FRAME 5:-
Through this frame he presented the depression of that time, depression of the 20th century, depression of wars and depression of torture that doing on Jewish people. And this depression one can find in 20th century literature when war happened. A theme of War and theme of depression even though hope can be found in Ernest Hemingway's works.
FRAME 6:-
Here with the stand of one hand he stops the crowd who are cheering. This shows the power that the dictator has. How he can stop any kind of tone with one signal. The behavioral patterns of dictators are different and noticeable than others. Even in the second one mic bend because of his words and speech and the power he is having.
FRAME 7:-
In this frame he satirizes the mindset of dictators that for photos and love from the public they use kids as honey comb. And in the second frame he clears his hands with tissue and feels disgusted that he touched a child. This two face personality is very popular in dictators and has only temporarily.
FRAME 8:-
In a first meeting of them they were fighting for the same country but in the second frame Charlie tortured by the Hynkel people's only cause he is Jewish. But it is pathetic to see this contradiction.
FRAME 9:-
In this frame Hynkel tries to prove and show that his power is better and in a huge amount than anyone else. This lifting up chair shows that they both think that one is better than the other one. With every dialogue one starts lifting up himself and others lift more up to prove his point.
This frame too presents that the dictator wants to show that he has higher position and power than Jake Oakie.
FRAME 10:-
This frame shows the value of art. When dictator gets free he came for a bit, he goes towards artist and artists have to make their art according to free time of dictators or high positioned people. This frame also presents that the value of art is totally gone in favour of money and dictatorship.
FRAME 11:-
The Red Carpet is a symbol here that whoever's carpet is long is the powerful one. Here Oakie refused to get down and to put his leg on the floor without Carpet. And the soldiers or the people of Hitler run here from there to welcoming him with Red Carpet.
FRAME 12:-
These two frames presents an intresting story of changing colours like गिरगिट. In the first frame they are fighting with food for a reason. It is pathetic to see that they waste food cause they do not agree with each other. This shows that they are misusing the food while on the other side female character of this movie steal food cause she is hungry.
FRAME 13:-
Here Hitler playing with the baloon which has a drawing of Earth. One can find nothing wrong with this frame who show this only for entertainment. But behind this comedy Chaplin criticizes that Hitler is playing with the world and with the rights of human as he wants.
FRAME 14:-
This frame has a word 'Liberty' in it. It's totally like oposite frame of what they believe. Liberty is engraved in the wall, and they are walking up stairs at the same time which represents that they are up higher than liberty, dictators can crush Liberty of people through their steps.
FRAME 15:-
It is famous fact about Chaplin that he was not able to speak continually from childhood but as time passed he learnt and he spoke the most famous and Important dialogue or last speech of his movie which made him the greatest dialogue writer. These are some words from his speech,
'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…'
Chaplin was not against technology and machinery but he criticized cause technology and machinery stole the job of humans and forced them to become machines. Cause of joblessness there is hunger, poverty, theft, illegal ways to get money and things which kill humanity.
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