This blog is a continuation of my previous blog talking about the frame of the Modern times. It is a response to the blog task assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir. This blog concerns the setting of 20 century, demonstrating it through Chaplin’s films ‘The Modern Times’ and ‘The Great Dictator’ And few frame studies from the movie.
FRAMES OF THE GREAT DICTATOR
Study of ‘The Great Dictator'
The Great Dictator is a 1940 film directed by Charlie Chaplin. It is a satirical- comedy drama. Chaplin's film advanced the expression of very strong disapproval of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II. The Great Dictator conveys Chaplin’s view that people must rise up against dictators and unite in peace.
The Modern times is a complete silent movie whereas it has some dialogues, which exhibit the advancement of cinema.
What is frame study?
A frame is a single image of film or video. Framing (a shot) involves composing the visual content of a series of frames as seen from a single point of view, i.e., a fixed camera. When framing a shot, the filmmaker creates a visual within the dimensions of the lens just as a painter creates a visual within the dimensions of a canvas. A frame study is the study or understanding of the frame by a camera which is describing or indicating a lot of things to actually understand the meaning behind the fixed camera image.
Characters of the movie is an allegorical representation of the political leaders/ dictators. As below.
Let's read the frames of the movie-
Frame 1:
The movie is set in the period between the two world wars, The period of madness and lack of humanity. It is the very beginning of the movie which displayed condition on the border, constant fight with the heavy weapons, bombs. World war period believed the country with the most powerful weapons is the most powerful country. We can clearly witness the 20th century, time of war and weapons. It suggests the malevolence of machines, the horror of war, and the senselessness of destruction.
Frame 2:
This frame shows how the orders are passed from the powerful authoritative person to the powerless, unauthoritative person which can be considered as the ‘obedient’ one who has to follow the orders. It seems like there is no value in their life and they are meant to follow the orders.
We see this condition even in contemporary times in all the political houses.
This is the system which is known as the pyramid of the capitalist system. We see that capital is the head. We never know how the orders are passed and who is taking the order and we keep on blaming or saluting the person who is in front of us but they are only pawns. They're working for laymen because they are ordered by the authority, if the authority/ capitalist authority will order them to go against the layman. they will do their work the main point here is the order are passed from the higher authority to the Laymen, is powerless and the have to follow the orders blindly even if they are harmful for their self. which we keep looking in the society now and then.
Frame 3:
“Only the voice of Hynkel was heard.” Hynkel which is an allegorical representation of the Hitler, this frame shows that it was the time in which only the voice of Hitler was heard the political party of Hitler was so strong. Hynkel was so strong and he had great power of speech which used to easily hypnotize the people. In the movie Hynkel’s speech is gibberish which symbolizes that whatever he spoke was just ‘bla...bla...bla...’ thing of use. Many mic around Hitler symbolize that no one should hear anything other than Hynkel, every mic is only for Hynkel and every speaker is for his voice.
Frame 4:
This video is of a gibberish speech by Hynkel. In this video we see that Hynkel raises hand and everyone will clap for his speech and the minute he will sign to stop everyone will stop. This shows the control of Hynkel. Authoritativeness, dictating nature of an Hynkel. It seems like the public and his officers are ‘Puppets’ in his hand.
Frame 5:
This frame shows not specifically Hynkel/ Hitler but all the political leaders. People who play with children are considered to be warm hearted, an emotional public will always fall in this type of emotional trap. The public feels the leader is so lovely and caring towards children as warm/ kind hearted humans are easily attracted towards the children. This type of things we see in the contemporary world, also the political leaders playing with other children to show themselves emotional and kind, public falls in this type of trap because they are untutored for rational thinking the public is emotionally susceptible.
The Bollywood movie Nayak (2001)by S. Shankar, we witness such a type of political leader. This movie is a satire on the political parties and leaders. We find many scenes resembling ‘The Great Dictator’ and ‘Nayak’. (Full movie is available on youtube)
Frame 6:
These two frames in the movie are not specifically e a symbolizing anything together but in this we find that in the first picture the barber is helping an officer and he is working in the army for the nation but once he is returning to the Ghetto He is abused by the same authority for whom he was working.
The cast ‘ jew’ was written on the walls of the shop so that they could be boycotted. The same happened in India in 2002 after the ‘Godhra riots’ similarly the Muslims were economically boycotted. As a result Muslim started using the English names for hiding their identity, on the shops.
Frame 7:
The first image shows the ‘passion for exhibition’. we also see the sculpture ‘The Thinker (French: Le Penseur)’ Is changed according to the system of Hynkel. as it is hailing to the Hynkel. Here we also see that Hynkel has subdued The Artists. Creative people also don't have freedom of what they have to do. They are completely controlled by the authorities. Whenever the authority is free they are asked to work and if they are not free they are sitting ideally waiting for the authority. They don't have the freedom to work according to their time and according to them. It is a satire on art in a way Sarasvati Devi/ muse being controlled by dictators.
Frame 8:
This frame shows dictators self love/ Narcissist ideology. The towering filing cabinet behind his desk is shown to have no drawers at all, but several concealed mirrors instead. dictators/ authorities are more worried about their image than the public who have elected them to work for them.
Frame 9:
Dictators and their Leisure activities. We do see that many leaders have their personal pastime activity; they actually don't have any mastery in any hobby but just their self love and to mesmerize the public.
Frame 10:
This frame in the movie seems to symbolize the dictator's behavior towards Jews in the society. We interpret this cage to be the symbolism of the Jews being caged in Ghetto.
Frame 11:
Billy Gilbert's Herring’s chest full of medals because he was a sycophant and on the other side Schultz went or gave opinion against order of Hynkel and was ordered him to send to concentration camp. People who pamper their egos are awarded and others are imprisoned.
Frame 12:
Playing with a globe is a maniacal dream sequence of Hitler. The dream of pleasure of ruling the whole world. Sycophant officers give air to their ego and dreams which was dreamt by Hynkel by playing with the globe, Playing the world. Climbing to the curtains can be interpreted as Hynkel flying with a dream of ruling the world.
Frame 13:
The bursting of is symbolic comment on the futility of the dictator, breaking of fallacies, dreams.
Frame 14:
In these two frames of the movie, the first frame is when Hynkel went to welcome Napolini, the dictator of Bacteria. They are seen as friendly with each other as if they were childhood friends but they were the real Rivals and for the means of a photograph, for the media which can be said as the passion for exhibition. And in the very next frame we see that both the dictators were in a private place and the way they are fighting for their agreement with each other. It seems the double standards of The Dictator, they have a different face to show to the public and a different face in a private place. This type of media face is also seen in the present or a contemporary period.
Frame 15:
The Hynkel Stadium. Napolini was taken to a Hynkel stadium to show off arms, Arm force and army to show off your power. We can relate some of this type of incident in a contemporary time that is a cricket stadium named after a political leader.
Frame 16:
In these two frames we see him cause different ways of showing himself superior to Napolini. Here Hynkel is trying to play psychologically with Napolini, by making him feel inferior. Chaplin concentrates on the character's vanity, stupidity and childishness. When Napolini pays a state visit from the neighboring country of Bacteria, the two men compete to have the higher chair while they are being shaved, and to have the more flattering position when they are being photographed.
Frame 17:
In the end of the film Babar, The Jew mistaken as a Hynkel was forced to give a speech in the rally. The first frame shows the popularity of Hynkel, the number of people gathered to listen to Hynkel. And in The second frame We see the word ‘Liberty’ when the Barber was climbing the stairs. this frame can be read in the two ways, the first can be the Liberty is for the sake of the name in the rule of Hynkel and second it can be read as when Barber, as a representative of a layman will be on the stage, on the in the rule the Liberty in the society will prevail.
The final speech in the movie by the barber is the voice of Charlie Chaplin himself. Speech is considered to be one of the best speeches the speed pleads for peace, tolerance and understanding .
Various newspaper bringing to us the setting of 20th Century:
Reflecting over the process:
After watching the movie The Great Dictator it seems like we have never seen the other side of a political area or a political society somewhere we can relate this to the contemporary period. It seems like an eye opener doing frame study is a very interesting activity.
The writer and philosopher George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” After watching the movie Great Dictator it seems like it is really necessary to understand the history if one knows the history and has an historical sense he won't repeat it and the world would not go through the same condition. Nation will progress rather than regress.
I hope this blog was useful to you. Thank you for visiting.
If you like to read more about the frames of Chaplin’s Movie visit my blog on frame study of ‘The Modern Times’. CLICK HERE.
Work Cited:
Barber, Nicholas. “The Great Dictator: The Film That Dared to Laugh at Hitler.” Accessed February 2, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210204-the-great-dictator-the-film-that-dared-to-laugh-at-hitler.
Clairmont, Nicholas. “‘Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.’ Really?” Big Think (blog). Accessed February 3, 2022. https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really/.
DQS ( DIVYA QUICK SUPPORT ). The Great Dictator [1940] Full Movie-720p.Mp4, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDX2tCkCM4o.
[words- 2022]
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