RP170 Charlie Chaplin, a Serious Man

 RP170 Charlie Chaplin, a Serious Man

When you think of Charlie Chaplin, you probably think of his expressive face or his funny, penguin-like waddle. Charlie Chaplin was very good at making people laugh, but he had a serious side, too. Chaplin was passionately anti-Nazi and urged the rest of the world to take the Nazi threat seriously. Later, he made antiwar statements in some movies. While he was beloved for his silly antics, his serious political views sometimes got him into trouble.

The Great Dictator was the only film of its time to make fun of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Chaplin mock s Hitler but uses a speech at the climax of the movie to push America into the war. While telling his soldiers (Hitler's soldiers, in the metaphor) not to be used by a dictator, he at the same time repeatedly asks the world to fight for democracy, peace, and freedom. The speech was a brave statement, but America was not at war with Germany then. Many people wanted to stay out of the fight. Chaplin began to be watched by some authorities.

If Chaplin was too pro-war in 1940, authorities found him to be too antiwar later during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Movies like Monsieur Verduex made antiwar statements, causing authorities in the United States to harassment Chaplin. Authorities followed and searched Chaplin many times without ever finding hard evidence.

Chaplin went from being America's darling to being harassed and threatened for his political views, but he didn't stop doing what he thought was right. Chaplin, despite all the trouble, ended up as well loved as ever. Those who opposed him, however, are either forgotten or ashamed.