Charlie Chaplin and Silent Films: The Great Dictator

After battling the talkies for almost a decade, Chaplin began to perceive the genre in a new light. He no longer saw the talkie as a symbol of oppressive modern technology. He actually began to comprehend the medium as a powerful tool that, if in the right hands, was capable of producing enormous benefits for humanity. In this light, Chaplin released his first talkie, The Great Dictator, in 1940. Through the use of sound in this film, Chaplin speaks to his audience in order to deliver his anti-Fascist message. In this way, the film praises speech as a means of battling the oppressive forces of the modern world. This is exemplified in the final scene of the film where the little Jew, disguised as Hynkel (Hitler), delivers his speech.

In this scene, Chaplin retracts all previous criticism of dialogue through a celebration of it. The Jew disguised as Hynkel speaks to the people of Tomania uninterrupted for three and a half minutes. During this time, the speaker remains almost inanimate, placing all attention upon his words. For the first time, Chaplin emphasizes dialogue over imagery and pantomime. Adding to this effect, the shots are extremely long and focus mainly on the speaker, and partially on Hannah who is listening to the speech over the radio. In both cases, the emphasis on the visual is minimal. Through these artistic techniques, Chaplin portrays sound, and modern technology in general, in a positive light. The protagonist rectifies the evils of the modern world through the use of sound amplification and radio. After all, the little Jew's voice stops the war due to the fact that it reaches so many people.

The content of this final speech also describes technology as a tool that can be manipulated for good or evil. The protagonist states how despite its potential to unify, man has allowed technology to divide him from his peers. He then describes the negative effects caused by the wrongful uses of technology. He says that people have become "machine men with machine minds and machine hearts." This echoes Chaplin's harsh critique of technology in Modern Times. Chaplin proposes a different solution in this film, however, by portraying hope not in the silent Tramp, but rather in the vocal protagonist. The little Jew comments on this point by noting the power of technology to unify people in the name of humanity. For example, he states, "Even now, my voice is reaching millions throughout the world." Here, he praises technology for its ability to connect people and amplify the moral voice. As Jean-Loup Bourget notes, "The aim is no longer to satirize machines, but to restore them to their rightful role as a tool and means of communication." (Nysenholc, pg.4)

Throughout the 1930s, Chaplin's views on sound and modern technology in general evolved and revolutionized his art. He moved from satirizing the new medium, to praising it as the savior of the modern world. This transformation involved both pressure to conform to the new Hollywood of talkies, and a desire to fulfill a perceived notion of social responsibility. Unfortunately, this change from aesthetics to ideology was concomitant with his exile from the U.S., and marked the twilight of his career. This connection is far from random in that converting to sound both violated the aesthetic contract between Chaplin and his audience, and made his political commentary specific enough to anger American government officials. From this perspective, sound both revolutionized and destroyed Chaplin. [Back]