Video from Charlie Chaplin first talking movie - The dictator
Charlie Chaplin's movie, "The dictator" was about a humble barber (played by Charlie) who was mistaken for a dictator (also played by Charlie) by border guards who are lookalikes. The real dictator was mistaken for the barber and was put in prison. The humble barber made use of the opportunity to give a surprisingly rousing and inspiring speech and mobilized the people to fight for freedom and democracy. Below is a transcript of the speech:
Transcript for Charlie Chaplin's speech on democracy, humanity and unity
I am sorry. I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I would like to help everyone if possible. Jews, Gentiles, blackman, 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. 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 soul. Has barricaded the world with hate. Has goosestepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in. Machineries that give us abundance have 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 machineries we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness. And gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent. No one will be lost.
The aeroplane and radio has brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries for the goodness in men. Cries out for universal brotherhood, for the unity of us all.
Even now my voices is reaching millions throughout the world. Millions of dispairing men and women and children. Victims of the system that makes man torture. And imprisoned innocent people. For those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is with the passing of greed. The bitterness of men will 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 dispise you and slave you ruin you life. Tell you what to do and what to think and what to feel. Who treat you direct you, treat you like cattle, use you as canon 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 heart. You don't hate. Only the unloved hate. The unloved and the unnatural.
Soldiers, don't fight for slavery. Fight for liberty. In the seventeen Chapter of Saint Luke, it is written, the kingdom of God is within men, 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 you the future, and old age and the security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie. They do not fulfill their promise. They never will. Dictators free themselves. But they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill 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 with science and progress will lead to men's happiness.
Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite.
Cheers.
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