The Greatest Thing You Will Ever Hear

On his birthday, his words still ring clear, 75 years later…RIP

reply to post by Emerys


Great thread topic. Here's another vid of it (yours doesn't have the film clip, but integrated scenes of nature, etc.) In the film itself Chaplin breaks character and speaks as himself as he gives this speech,



"The Great Dictator", one of the best historical satire films, came out in 1940, and I've wondered sometimes if Hitler saw it and got the idea of either the holocaust from it or of accelerating his crazy madman "Final solution". Chaplin must have been peeved as well that Hitler stole his trademark mustache.

reply to post by Emerys


Hi,

i was wondering if it was possible to get a least minimal info on the subject. I can't see videos right now so i don't have the slightest idea on what this is about.

Thanks.

reply to post by bigwig22


Charlie Chaplin made the movie "The Great Dictator" in 1940 as a satire/commentary on Adolph Hitler's regime and war. This clip doesn't contain the entire speech, which is described in Wikipedia (interesting, it also says Chaplin wouldn't have made the film if he had known the extent of Hitler's holocaust.

en.wikipedia.org...

The Barber, now forced by circumstance to assume Hynkel's identity, is taken to the capital of Osterlich to make a victory speech. Garbitsch, in introducing "Hynkel" to the throngs, decries free speech and argues for the subjugation of the Jews. The barber then makes a rousing speech, reversing Hynkel's antisemitic policies and declaring that Tomainia and Osterlich will now be a free nation and a democracy. He calls for humanity in general to break free from dictatorships and use science and progress to make the world better instead.

Hannah, now an impoverished laborer in a vineyard in Osterlich, hears the Barber's speech on the radio, and is amazed when the Barber addresses her directly: "Hannah, can you hear me? Wherever you are, look up, Hannah. The clouds are lifting. The sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness into the light. We are coming into a new world, a kindlier world, where men will rise above their hate, their greed, and brutality. Look up, Hannah. The soul of man has been given wings, and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow — into the light of hope, into the future, the glorious future that belongs to you, to me, and to all of us. Look up, Hannah. Look up!" As she rises, Mr. Jaeckel asks Hannah, "Hannah, did you hear that?" The girl silences him with a gesture, saying, "Listen," and turns her face, radiant with joy and hope, toward the sunlight.

bigwig22
reply to post by Emerys

 

Hi,

i was wondering if it was possible to get a least minimal info on the subject. I can't see videos right now so i don't have the slightest idea on what this is about.

Thanks.

No problem. This is a video that goes over Charlie Chaplin's famous dictator speech. I have included the speech below for your reading pleasure.

The Great Dictator's Speech
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost....

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. .....

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

The problem is you will never get away from greed.

Look at the story of Hanes moving out of the USA to be more profitable. Owned by I believe berkshire hathaway which is owned by a billionaire. How much money do you need?

He is a billionaire. Unless I am way off on that. if I am right (think I am) Warren Buffett owns it. a billionaire. how much more money do you need?

The problem is corporations could make panties out of the skins of sacrificed children and the trailer trash of America would buy them from wal mart because they dont care.

reply to post by tinner07


We can accomplish anything we set our minds to. You think we can't live without greed. I beg to differ. I know we can. People just have to stop being selfish. Simple as that.

One of the greatest speeches ever composed. Alas, but words are easily spoken. Tis a trice to suggest the cat be outfitted with a bell...but another matter to implement it. That, my fellows, takes courage and sincerity - both of which, I fear, are in shorter and shorter supply these days. All the more reason to cherish them where they may be found.

It would be cool to see how many more people would participate in massive protests if someone were to walk down the street playing this speech on loop into a bullhorn.


"... the passing of greed..."

... I wish

six67seven
It would be cool to see how many more people would participate in massive protests if someone were to walk down the street playing this speech on loop into a bullhorn.


"... the passing of greed..."

... I wish

You should look up Mario Savio.

There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part! You can't even passively take part! And you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels…upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!

That was one of the speeches he gave. It speaks volumes to me.

reply to post by Emerys


No matter how many times I hear "The Great Dictator" speech from Chaplin I always, and I mean ALWAYS, get chills. Just so brilliant and eternally relevant. Thanks for sharing.

WE ARE MEN, NOT MACHINES!

reply to post by Aleister


Thank you a lot mate for the description, it's very interesting

Peace out.

reply to post by Emerys


Wow! Big thanks for the whole transcript!! This way i'm gonna be able to read it before i come back home.

Great post!

reply to post by Emerys


This is just more evidence that we have psychopaths that
have gravitated to places of power. Because only a psychopath
would not consider this speech in everything they do, in said
position.

reply to post by tinner07


Berkshire Hathaway is a Publicly Traded Corporation, and therefore doesn't have an "Owner".

it is owned by the Shareholders Collectively, Operated by a Board of Directors, and many of the Decisions are handled by a Shareholder Vote, in which the Majority Vote rules.

yes a great movie and a great speech.
It's actually one of my favorite movies of all time, and I'm more the SciFi and Action Buff

reply to post by Emerys


This is such a great speech...I enjoy hearing it each time...and I think you could put any speech to Hans Zimmer and it would be successful lol.