Since 1985, in various formats, SLANT -- an independent voice based in Richmond's Fan District -- has offered its readers original commentary on politics and popular culture, including cartoons and selected sundries. Warning: Sometimes that means satirical content. All rights are reserved.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Cinematic dictator mocking at its best
When it comes to mocking a dictator, perhaps no one has ever done it so effectively as did Charlie Chaplin in his 1940 film, "The Great Dictator," which came out while America was still on the sidelines of WWII. The scene in the YouTube box above is one of the film's most memorable scenes.
Of course, times change: 12 years after the British-born filmmaker showed America in what light to consider Adolph Hitler, Chaplin was hounded out of the USA by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover during the McCarthy era, because Charlie's politics were perceived to be leaning too far to the left.
With the war in the rear-view mirror, in the '50s, those in Show Biz had to be careful how resolutely they stood against fascism.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
It's perhaps the greatest, dead-on political caricature of all time. As far as sheer resemblance and mannerisms, however, it's difficult to find one as good as Tina Fey's Palin.
Post a Comment