In 1940, the US was still at peace with Nazi Germany although tensions were rising. Charlie Chaplin took an incredible risk when he made “The Great Dictator,” which was condemned anti-semitism, Hitler, Mussolini’s fascism, and Nazism with a comedic satire. A bold move for a man who had not yet made a “talking” film, and who could not predict the outcome of WWII. Out of the humorous antics from the film comes one of the most poignant political speeches in history, when Chaplin plays a poor Jewish barber is disguised as a dictator:
Here are five techniques that we think makes this speech boldly inspirational, even over 70 years after its delivery:
1. The Element of Risk
This speech wouldn’t be effective if it was produced after the Allies’ victory in WWII. Chaplin addresses a controversial subject without room for misinterpretation and fearlessly address the issue at hand, with no apologies or hesitation.
2. Start With Silence
Starting with a pause or taking a moment to gain the audience’s attention can help you come across as dignified and composed. Chaplin does so brilliantly here as he pauses the hijinks and silliness of the rest of the film with this short moment of silence, signifying a change in tone for the audience.
3. Slow Pacing
Part of Chaplin’s incredible success in this speech is the clarity of each word and the emphasis on pacing. His cadence matches well with some of the more complex sentences he delivers, for instance: “machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.” This all adds up to feeling well-rehearsed, no-nonsense, yet still sweet on the ears.
4. Repetition
Repeated themes, specific phrases, and concepts are all used in this short speech. For instance: “More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness,” and also: “Machine men! With machine minds and machine hearts!” Repetition hammers important concepts into the audience and leaves them with a rally cry later; using this technique, Chaplin is able to accomplish this in about 5 minutes.
5. Rising Conclusion
Similar to one of our other favorite political speechmakers, Winston Churchill, Chaplin keeps the tension rising in the speech towards a bold crescendo of: “Don’t give yourselves to brutes!” He does this by lifting his tone, increasing the volume, and putting emphasis on more aggressive calls-to-action as the speech progresses. As the conclusion rises in intensity, so do our goosebumps.
The Great Dictator became Charlie Chaplin’s most commercially successful film, in spite of the enormous risk involved making it. We hope the speech made you feel inspired to go out and take a risk with your next presentation or speech.
Question: What inspires you about the speech from “The Great Dictator?”
