Charlie Chaplain’s movie The Great Dictator was released in 1940 during Hitler and his Nazi regime’s rise to power. It was his most commercially successful film. Chaplain sardonically skewers Adolf through his portrayal of a nameless Jewish soldier (known simply as “The Barber”) who through a series of fumbling mishaps eventually becomes fuehrer of the fictional nation “Tomania”. His criticism of the prime villain and his cohort Benito Mussolini culminates in a speech that has been called the best in history by some, in which he imitates the emphatic oratory style of Hitler while delivering a message of inherent human goodness and hope for a, “free and beautiful life.” The speech is satire in its highest form, and was produced and shown across the U.S. and Europe; initially the United Kingdom elected to ban its exhibition to satisfy an edict of appeasement put forth by the Nazi party, but once war on Germany was declared the film became a pro-Ally propaganda powerhouse. Although Chaplain has said that if he knew about the horrors of the Holocaust before production he would not have made the film, the fact remains that at the time it perfectly upbraided the odiousness of Fascism. The Great Dictator did what good satire is supposed to do, make the audience think, and it did so boldly and unapologetically. Today’s announcement by Sony Pictures that they will be cancelling the premiere of Seth Rogen and James Franco’s The Interview (The comedy about two muckraking journalists who are tasked by the CIA to kill, Kim Jong-un, dictator of North Korea, but you knew that already) got me thinking about the state of satire in the U.S.. I’ve heard and read various opinions about the move, some say that it’s a casualty in the fight for continued freedom of speech, some say good riddance and, “Why show something that will get innocent people hurt?” Others say they can’t wait for the digital release. In trying to decide how I felt about it, I found that I was conflicted. Among the rights offered in the 1st Amendment is our most sacred right, the ability to express the content of our souls without fear of censure. Freedom of Speech gives wings to revolutions and shackles to oppressors, and offers each and every citizen the power to change the minds of those around them and thusly to change society on the whole. On one hand I see the cancellation of the Interview has an attack against that sacred right, this is America, no? We’re not supposed to capitulate to the threats of egotistical bullies, if we have something to say we say it loud and proud to hell with those who are offended! …Right? That was my gut reaction, but then I began to think, “What if they followed through with their threats?” Would it really be worth it to lose even one innocent life in the name of Franco and Rogen’s masturbatory, bromantic, montage of dick and fart jokes? The premise of the film is flimsy, obviously constructed for its shock value, and although I have and perhaps never will see the film, after reading the review in Time magazine I can say with confidence that it lacks the poignancy and poise that makes a satire effective. What would be the point? Unlike Chaplin and The Great Dictator, Franco and Rogen are offering nothing to society with the production of the film besides another fruit in the tree of half-baked comedies. I understand Sony’s stance, if the release would have went through after the threats, and an attack actually occurred the ensuing PR nightmare would cripple if not destroy the company, the hackers (known as the Guardians of Peace) have already bruised Sony and sent them reeling with their tails tucked firmly between their legs. So, does this action send a message to our enemies that America will fold to their whims if they apply enough pressure, or was it just a common sense business move by Sony? I believe unfortunately that it is both. Foreign influence borne in threats of violence has been met with a blushed apology and an utter retraction of a piece of art (as shallow as it may be) that falls under our country’s fundamental protections; I find this disheartening and sad. Now would I have been saddened by any loss of life or injury that may have come from the release? Of course, but instead of preparing for that possibility we have thrown in the towel; we have conceded without even attempting to call their bluff. How will we respond to the next threat? I will end this reflection with a quote from the Captain of the Starship Enterprise that seems all too relevant… With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably. - Jean-Luc Picard (from Star Trek TNG: The Drumhead Se 4 Ep. 21)
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 03:20:24 +0000
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