Just found this looking through an old note book. We watched the film in class and the assignment was to write a 2 page paper arguing whether the film was a propaganda piece or not.(course was Western Civ. 2)
I got a 97% for some grammar errors that i fixed. Just came up with title now. How do you think I did?
“The Great Dictator” Review: Propaganda or Not
Released in 1940, "The Great Dictator", written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, was a film made to bring light to the escalating abuses against the jews in National Socialist Germany and to poke fun at the fascist leaders of Italy and Germany(Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, respectively). While propaganda is commonly defined as, "the expression of opinions or actions carried out deliberately by individuals or groups with a view to influence the opinions or actions of other individuals or groups for predetermined ends and through psychological manipulations.” While Chaplin has stated that his film is not a propaganda piece, several choices he made while directing the film would suggest that it is.
One choice he made which could influence the audience's opinions was having the character Adenoid Hynkel, representative of Adolf Hitler, speak German-sounding gibberish whenever he is speaking about the jews and his national socialist views. This decision could influence the audience to think that all of Hitler's national socialist are nonsensical. Also, that anyone who would listen to and follow those national socialist ideas as idiots.
Another element of the film that could considered propaganda is the characterization of Adenoid Hynkel and Benzini Napolini, representative of Benito Mussolini. Throughout the film both Hynkel and Napolini are portrayed as clumsy buffoons, who just so happen to lead a nation. For example, in the first speech of Hynkels that is shown, Hynkel pauses to take a sip of water and dumps the rest down his pants. Also, after the speech, Hynkels aid, Herr Herring, representative of Hermann Göring, slightly bumps Hynkel and Hynkel tumbles down the stairs of the stage. Another example of this is when Napolini comes to visit Hynkel. After greeting with Hynkel, Napolini completely forgets that he was traveling with his wife and leaves with Hynkel, without her.
Another decision Chaplin made that could influence the audience's views is the choices of music. For example, whenever Hynkel and others of the party are shown more serious, march-like music was played; while whenever the 'people of the ghetto' are shown softer, more uplifting music was played. By playing the serious, march-like music during scenes with Hynkel and party members, it causes the audience to feel that they are very rigid and authoritarian, even without hearing them speak. By playing the softer, more uplifting music during the scenes with the 'people of the ghetto', it causes the audience to feel that they are purely the victim, even though they were plotting a suicide bombing on the palace.
In conclusion, while Charlie Chaplin may not have deliberately created "The Great Dictator" as a propaganda film, several decisions made during the production would give the impression that it is. For example, Hynkels gibberish speech, the buffoonish characterization of Hynkel and Napolini, and the different background music chosen for party members and the 'people of the ghetto', could all influence the way that the audience views the real world around them.