In this episode of The Bradley Show, Bradley takes us on a journey through the later films of Charlie Chaplin. Focusing on four films (Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux and A King in New York), this episode explores the politics of speech and social commentary. In Chaplin’s later films we see a persistent need to speak out, whether that is against labour exploitation, fascism or McCarthyism. In these films Chaplin is drawn more and more to speak and comment on the world around him and defend the right and need for that free speech. In this episode we explore the parallels between Chaplin and Marx in their critique of the workplace (Modern Times), the role of speech in The Great Dictator, as well as Chaplin’s critique of the censorial practices of McCarthyism in A King in New York. What emerges is a particular vision of freedom which places a central role for speech, discussion and critique.
