Our video is from a 1940's movie called The Great Dictator and stars Charlie Chaplin.
A couple questions for you to think about and respond to:
Do you agree that this was indeed the greatest speech ever given? Do you agree with the content of the speech? How do the images help the message of the speech or harm it? Does the music contribute to the mood/feeling of the speech or depreciate it?
20 comments:
I think this is one of the most inspirational speeches ever given, although I do admit it is quite ironic how it was such a strong voice a silent comedian can have. Charlie Chaplin gives descriptive details of how corrupt our world has become due to technology causing "machine-like men, with machine-like minds." However, many argue that technology has not only boosted our world economically, advanced our world in a extraordinary way, and through technology we better communicate. Though Chaplin sees that we have not let it build us, we have let it destroy us. Do you think he is too extreme in his opinions? Since he discusses a world wide problem, do you think his wish of liberty, peace, and justice is inevitable?
This is something that intrigues me about today's society. We are constantly racing to be crowned the most technologically advanced culture, but has anyone ever thought about what negative impacts advancements in technology are? There are many cases surfacing where children in today's age are consistently shown to be less than proficient with other people and technology may be the leading perpetrator. That being said, the speech is passionate and powerful, spoken from someone who had great influence in his time and the images aided his words by giving us something tangible to compare to. The comparisons are all too real, and the problems discussed are staring us down as we speak.
I greatly enjoyed that video. Not only was it delivered with poise and passion but also the content was true and honest from start to finish. In my opinion, this speech is one of the greatest speeches ever. The content mixed with the images and music connected the generations and made the human persona come out. I definitely agree with the content and its message. The images gave us background and understanding to the message, and the passion of the delivery just added an extra level. The music blended with all the other aspects of the video to make it a “10 out of 10” video.
I thought this was definitely one of the most inspirational speeches I've ever heard. I loved the way that the video used up to date technologies, yet the speech was given in what, the 40's? It goes to show how difficult humanity is to change. We will always be greedy as a whole, and power seeking. I like the overall message of caring for others and not fighting for slavery. Overall I would agree that this is one of the greatest speeches ever made, and I wish the world were more like the dreams of Charlie Chaplin.
It's fitting that such a slanted, anti-establishment production should come from the mouth of a comedian. Yes, I think that the picture strongly supports the text of the speech, but I do not merely find the speech uninspiring and uninspired. It works up to a vitriolic rant that (paradoxically) mimics Hitler's rallies. This video lacks even a semblance of balance.
This speech impressed me by the thinking of the speaker and I think it is one of the greatest speech I have ever heard. The video combined the old speech with new technologies and images in the video helped people understand the speech by taking things occurring around us recently as examples. And the ideas in the speech reached the very high level of humanity that I would like to attain.
In order to say that whether this is the greatest speech, the “greatest” should be given a definition. In my opinion, encouraging us to advance together in the new spirit can be classified as a good speech but not great. Reminding us about the current “dark” side also belongs to the category of good speech. Then what is great speech? The question reminds me of the famous saying by the 18th century French philosopher Denis Diderot, “if you know what the world real is, you are a smart person. If you know how to solve the problems in the world, you are a capable person. If you know how to turn the world into a beautiful earth, you are a great person.” The definition of the “greatest” should teach us how to turn the bad things into a beautiful matter. I think this saying can also be applied in evaluating the speech. The content, images and music are good as they fit perfectly with the process of speech.
Yang made a good point on defining greatest first. Greatest is a vague word but I agree that the video was so inspirational and i really enjoyed it. The points it hit were so true and really makes you think. The way the speech was given kept you listening his tone of voice would change and really keep you alert. I agree with what he says the images help set up the message visuals always help me. I really liked the music it didn't block out the voice and gave flow to the video. All in all I really enjoyed it and was a great clip.
I think this is one of the greatest speeches in the world. In my mind, all the speeches that speak with graceful and mercy should be greatest. The content really point out the serious problem that we may sometimes get lost when we are on the way to persuit the happiness. We may focus too much on the spinoff like technology or power and achieve those by unkind ways. The images are changed according to the content of the speech which helps the speech. But I perfer the orginal images in the movie because they are more attached with the voice and sometimes the voice itself has more power to make me touched. The music is great. Generally the music is slow and gentel which will not draw my attention from the speech but sometimes it will be stronger to help express the feelings.
Indeed this is a great inspiring speech. I really like the content of the speech. It tells us to be a human, instead of machines that are used by rulers or bosses. We need characteristics and emotions.The original version of the speech makes me feel a little bored,and the music and images help me to follow his ideas more easily and give me a visual understand about the speech. It makes the speech better.
I think the speech is probably not the greatest ever. The content is very idealistic, and even inspiring, but it lacks direction to confront real problems. The images may help people to pay attention or make the video more interesting but also they must reflect the opinion of the person who made the video, and possibly influence the way people understand Chaplin's original meaning. The music does not really help or hurt the speech, but it is unnecessary to play music if it is really the "greatest" speech.
I think this is one of the most soul-stirring and great speeches. I was attracted by this video because of his inspiring and powerful words, as well the flashed images. In my perspective, his true, honest and powerful words not only stated the facts and his opinions, but also awaked people up. The images matched the speech perfectly, which helped the message of speech to be conveyed clearly and visually. It is true that people are seeking many advanced and better things that we never ever had, but we are might losing something significant, natural and real when we are developing. Actually we need is less, but we always want more, so our life is miserable. The music is simply and gentle which lead us to hear carefully and think deeply.
In the speech he says he think too much and feel too little. Do you agree with that? Do you think that the technological advances of modern society really are hurting our compassion? If there a balance? What do you think he means by 'so long as men die, liberty will never perish'? Do you think his Biblical reference strengthens his speech?
I don't believe this is the greatest speech ever made and neither does the creator of the video. If he or she did they would not have added a sound track or the picture clips. The greatest speech ever would be able to carry itself and inspire feeling and passion without the aid of the music and pictures. Not only that, but also I feel like the content of the speech also removes it from contention for the greatest speech ever. Around fifty seconds into the clip the speaker says, "our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much...". He goes on to say, "more than machinery we need humanity." Yet, he ends his speech with, "Let us fight for a world of reason. A world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness." Do you not see the contradiction here. Reason, science, and progress go hand in hand with our knowledge and cleverness. Yet the later he says is the cause for our problems while the former will solve them? Furthermore, the machinery he scorns is the end result of science and progress. The speaker may have identified the solution for our worlds issues, but he claims they are also the cause for the issues. Therefore he has really not offered anything and there is no reason for the fight he is suggesting.
I search the Internet for more information about this speech, and I find this is the final scene of the Charlie Chaplin's film the Great Dictator (1940). To be honest, this speech is quite inspiring and I totally agree that it is among the greatest. People love each other, world of happiness and fight for liberty; these are all great for human beings, but each of them is near impossible to realize, which make the speech can only exist in a film.
The speech is well delivered and powerful, however I don't believe that it is the greatest ever. I agree with most of the content in the speech and think it is a good message that can obviously transcend time as it is still applicable today. Some of the images I feel don't mesh well because they show items that weren't from the time period of the speech. The music adds to the quality of the video. It doesn't distract from the speech but instead adds sentimental value.
I agree with what Yang mentioned about defining a great speech before being able to call this speech "the greatest speech ever". However I do believe that this is the "greatest speech ever" because it calls to attention many things that are wrong with society. The greatest speech shouldn't tell people how to fix every problem in the world but merely show the grave importance of the current problems. I believe people need to be able to make their own decisions on how to solve problems because if one person made all the decisions, not everyone would agree and be happy with that one person's solutions. I also think that the music and images add greatly to the speech because it gives it a timely appeal to the current issues going on today, not just things that happened during the time period of the speech.
This is the best speech I have heard in my life. It really brings forth the evil of the world and makes one want to change and make a difference in the world. All of the problems listed must be addressed in order to have a peaceful existence. I did find it very ironic that he looked like he was from the Nazi party with the mustache. This inspirational speech really does bring a tear to ones eye and makes people feel more united and responsible for what is going on around them. It is in OUR hands to create a change.
I can’t say it is the best speech ever but it is a very good speech has been given. After so many years it still motivating people to think about the questions been asked in the video. It also prove in these years human still are the same. We didn’t change there are still wars and hungry in the world.
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