Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator Speech

Charlie Chaplin set the bar during the silent film era. In his film, the Great Dictator, Chaplin creates a parody of Nazi Germany and he himself becomes the fuhrer in the movie. For someone that adores the silent era, Charlie Chaplin delivers a riveting speech in his FIRST speaking role. Coming to a realization of the wrongdoing that is about to ensue, he gives this speech to bring forth a change in the mindset of the soldiers under his control and to put an end to their ways. Chaplin is able to compel the soldiers by expressing the changes in society and appealing to the human nature of being able to be happy, free and coexist with others. Charlie Chaplin, like Hitler, starts his speech in a voice that is soft/typical. He slowly builds on top of that as the speech progresses and this is able to help rally his men behind his want to change to freedom. He varies the volume along the way (more towards the end) and is able to place emphasis on certain parts because Chaplin jumps from a low volume to a high one along the way. There isn’t much to go in terms of the audience but they do end with a cheer. I’m taking that as a sign that the speech was effective and that the soldiers were able to relate to Chaplin’s point of happiness and freedom.