THE CINEMA AS A MEAN OF

DENUNCIATION,
PROPAGANDA AND
EDUCATION

Elisa Scubla
 INDEX:

- Brief history of cinematography and its developments

- Educational films: After-colonial countries rediscover their lost origins and

traditions – Maoris' issue.
( Once were warriors, Whale Rider, River Queen)

- Films of propaganda: Governments and regimes’ use of cinema as a way

to impose political beliefs and support their policy. Nazi and fascist cinema.
( Triumph of the Will )

- Films of denunciation: The cinema against political, social and

environmental abuses.
(ModernTimes,The Great Dictator)
 BRIEF HISTORY OF CINEMATOGRAPHY
In the past, the idea of the cinema as a moving image, was already present in some prehistoric
representations: the Egyptians ( figures painted during a movement), the caves of Altamira ( bison
represented with many legs), the Chinese shadows and the shadow plays.

The forerunners of cinema were actually toy-makers: some tricks for children used the “ persistence of
vision” which is at the basis of the cinematographic technique. Another example of early cinema-
prototypes was the chronophotography .

The historical date of the birth of the cinema is 1895, the year when the Lumiére brothers projected
photographs in movement in front of an audience with their tool called “ Cinèmatographe”.The Lumiére
brothers’ films ran with 15 frames per second.

Until 1926, there had been few attempts of improvement , but in that year Don Juan, the first talking
picture, was projected.The sounds had been recorded on discs which were played in sync with the film.
In 1927 the first talked picture was projected and in 1928 the soundtrack was born.

In the years to follow, the frames passed from 15 to 24.The first attempts of colour were made directly
on the film with colouring substances.The first films with colours were released around the 30s-40s.

Nowadays, film making is an economically successful industry; technologies has developed to

extremely high levels ( special effects, 3D films) and thousand of films are released every year. Film stars
became increasingly examples of personal success and role models.
EDUCATIONAL FILMS
 In the 19th century, the invention of cinema brought a unique opportunity to teach a vast
number of people through images.

Colonies all around the world gained their freedom but still had to face the effects of post-
colonialism. Native populations had already undergone a process of struggle and defeat,
forced coexistence and racism. Colonizers had taught them how to behave, speak and pray
like in the “ civilized world”.

With the end of the colonies, natives and colonizers had to learn to relate to each other as
citizens of the same nation. Nonetheless exclusion , ghettos and discriminations spread in
all the former colonies. As a consequence, native populations started to emigrate to cities
and follow the European standards in order to find a place in the new reality.

Globalization and mingling of cultures brought many privileges as well as social diseases.
The main problem of nowadays generations of natives is the loss of self-awareness in terms
of cultural belonging. Disorientation and ignorance affects, in particular, the younger people
who look at the Western models , forgetting about their ancestors’ inheritance.
 The Maoris’ issue: historical background

Maori war-canoe

A Maori chief’s engraving Captain James Cook

Chart by James Cook and Charles

Praval. 1768-1771
 The Maoris’ issue: historical background

The Maoris descend from Polynesian tribes who left the islands of the Pacific Ocean on
canoes and reached the shores of New Zealand about 1200 years ago. The first inhabitants
of New Zealand lived on a poor agriculture and fishing; the society was divided into tribes
and hapus( families), the power was held by the older members. Battles between hapus
were very frequent and war was seen as a positive way to build one’s spiritual and physical
strength. There was also a great interest in arts such as engraving and tattoos.

In the 17th century the Dutch were expanding their colonial possessions over the Pacific
Ocean. AbelTasman was the first who, in 1642, discovered New Zealand. His meeting with
the Maoris was disastrous.The discovery did not brought any interest among the Europeans
and New Zealand was left untouched until, in 1769, the famous navigator and explorer
Captain James Cook and his crew landed on its shores. Despite the battles between the
Maoris and the English, Cook explored this new land entirely and drew many important
maps.
 With the 19th century, New Zealand became a penal colony. Pakehas ( foreigners) brought
all the evils of the Western society: drinking, prostitution and depravation as well as diseases.
Moreover, the Maoris did not know the concept of “ private property” : the land traditionally
belonged to the whole tribe.This way, the Europeans made numerous speculations on the
acquisition of lands. On the continent, many intellectuals harshly criticized the colonization
of New Zealand. Christian missions were now taking the charge of a “good colonization”.
Missionaries made many improvements in agriculture, introduced new seeds and animals
and wrote the first dictionaries of the Maori language. Other colonists coming from Europe
settled down in the “ new land”.

In 1840, the English governor W. Hobson, sent to New Zealand to annex it to the British
Empire, persuaded the Maori chiefs to subscribe the Treaty of Waitangi.The treaty was a real
fraud: - it has never been ratified, - it was translated much freely in Maori, - the chiefs
followed the churchmen’s advice, who were sure that the British Empire had good intentions
of rendering the Maoris what had been stolen from them by the first colonizers.
As soon as the Maoris understood that they had been cheated, they started fighting the
English. In 1858, they elected a Maori king in order to guide them in the fight. From 1860 to
1881, the Maoris and the English fought strenuously each other .
 The Confiscation of the Maoris’ lands

Signing the Treaty of Waitangi The war in New Zealand. The 57th Regiment taking a Maori
redoubt on the Katikara River, Taranaki. 1863.
 The Confiscation of the Maoris’ lands

The land confiscations which are at the basis of the New Zealand wars between the Maoris
and the Europeans, took place during the 1860s.
Since the firstTaranaki War in 1860 and in the years to follow, the cost of the war had
increasingly aroused and the Government could not afford enough money. In 1863 the
Governor Sir George Grey and other representatives started to order various confiscations of
the rebels’ lands and, in the same year, the New Zealand Settlements Bill was introduced
into the House of Representatives and became a law with only two opponents.The purpose
of the bill was to confiscate the lands of those natives who fought the Europeans but allowed
the confiscation also of non-belligerent tribes who would then be entitled to compensation.
The preamble to the Act claimed that: “the North Island had been subject to insurrections
amongst the evil-disposed persons of the Native race to the great injury alarm and
intimidation of Her Majesty's peaceable subjects of both races and involving great losses of
life and expenditure of money in their suppression […] for the permanent protection and
security of the well-disposed Inhabitants of both races for the prevention of future
insurrection or rebellion and for the establishment and maintenance of Her Majesty's
authority and of Law and Order throughout the Colony ...the best and most effectual means
of attaining those ends would be by the introduction of a sufficient number of settlers able to
protect themselves and to preserve the peace of the Country”.
 The Confiscation of the Maoris’ lands

Any land which had been used by a tribe, or part of it, who carried the arms against
Government forces since 1863 was destined to be confiscated.The Act caused many debates
among intellectuals, members of the Parliament and even the Colonial Office but the
general opinion agreed to the confiscations; a New Zealand newspaper said that:” there is
only one way of meeting this, and that is by confiscation and sword…the natives have
forced it upon us…at the very least large tracts of their lands must be the penalty.”
In 1864 the Parliament passed the Public Works Act which allowed the Maori land to be
taken for public works, in 1865 the Police Act enabled more land to be taken in case a chief
failed or surrender. In the same year, Governor Grey proclaimed the official confiscation of
the Taranaki district and soon after the Europeans occupied also the area of Waikato and the
Bay of Plenty.
Many hapuswere left with nothing to live on, forcing them to submit to the Crown or die by
desperation. In the 90s of the 20th century, the WaitangiTribunal made many inquiries over
the confiscations of the Maori lands. Almost all of them were proved to be unjustified even
from the point of view of the penalty against the rebels. None of the tribes in Waikato and
Bay of Plenty had ever carried the arms against the colonizers.The Crown was sentenced by
the tribunal to pay the confiscated lands with million of dollars and to officially admit that it
had unjustly stolen the lands from the natives.
 The Maoris nowadays

About 30 years ago there was a clear division between Pakehas ( who lived in cities) and
Maoris ( who lived in the country). In the 80s the situation changed: many Maoris moved to
the cities and there became the subject of racial discriminations.Those born in the city, soon
couldn’t find a belonging culture and this brought to ghettos and a high percentage of
criminality among the Maori population.

Since then, the condition of the Maori minority had many improvements. Nowadays, most
Maoris follow the European culture but some still take part to traditional Maori events such
as, for example, the hui ( a gathering in the marae), the tangi( funeral) and the karaika(
prayer). Maori values such as tapu( the sacred), weirua(spiritual things) and mana(
authority) are still extremely important.
The parents of today’s young generation started to loose their culture when they moved to
cities and conformed to the Western society. Now, the young people have generally
uniformed to the Western culture, ganging up in groups which imitate trends of Western
fashion, music or politics . The old generation is the one who still try to hand down the Maori
culture to the young people, by teaching them the Maori language and creating schools.
Gatherings in maraes and other events are the only chance to put again together a group of
scattered individuals.
Young Maori people in the 60s All Blacks’ haka

Traditional Maori event at the marae Parade in traditional costumes in Wellington

 Once Were Warriors ( 1994)
Directedby: LeeTamahori
Producedby: RobinScholes
Writtenby :Riwia Brown,
basedon the novel byAlan Duff
Starring:RenaOwen,TemueraMorrison,CliffCurtis,Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell
Musicby: MurrayGrindlay Murray McNabb
Cinematography:Stuart Dryburgh
Editing by: MichaelJ. Horton
Distributedby: Fine Line Features
Releasedate(s):January 10, 1994
Running time: 99 min.

“Once wereWarriors”film, based on the novel byAlan Duff, depictsthe lives of someMaoris living in the slumsof a NewZealand town. Beth
Hekeand Jake "the Muss"Heke are marriedand have five children. Beth’s backgroundis set on a more traditionalvision of being Maori, while
Jake has completelyconformedto the “ new Maori s”. He wears leatherpants and undershirtlike the “ coolguys”, listenstoAmericanmusic;
he is constantly unemployedand spendshis time meeting with friendsat the pub or inviting them to his home to have parties which mainly
consistsin getting hard drunk.Jake considershimselfthe masterchief of his family and this allowshim to beat his wife half to death and to
decidefor everyone’s life.The eldest son spendsmore time possibleaway from home and becomepart of a gang of young people who
recallssomeancientMaori traditionsin a new way; the other son, after being involvedin someminor crimes,is removedfromhis family and
helpedby a man who teacheshim the way his people used to live;Grace,the eldestdaughter, has a vivid imagination,she writesstoriesfor
her siblings and dreamsof moving away; the other two littlechildrenwitness their parents’ frequentbrawls. Beth always submitto her
husband’swill , hides her physical and psychologicalwoundsand tries to keep togetherthe family until a terribleevent occurs:Grace,during
one of her father’s parties, get raped by the drunk aunt and, ashamed of this, kills herself by hanging at a tree.Grace’sfuneralis a comeback
to the Maori traditionsfor all the family exceptJake. Finally,Beth , helped by the eldestson, finds the strength to denounceher husband’s
and friends’guilt and leavesJake onceand for all.
 Once Were Warriors ( 1994) –Analysis on the film

Once Were Warriors is a powerful movie which had a great success all over the world. The
present degradation of the Maoris living in cities is clear.The colonial domination destroyed
an ideology and an entire culture.The slums of the city are far away from the traditional
country villages, people meet in pubs instead of maraesand get drunk and consumed while
their ancestors used to play the arts and had a positive vision of the war as a self-building
experience. Influences from rock’n’roll, rap music, and in general the “American civilized
world” mingle with Maori traditions and creates sects which do not actually belong to
anything.The society is run by the white New Zealanders who do not care about the state of
degradation in which their neighbours live but only exert their authority.The generation in
the middle seems to be completely lost, yet the only hope remains in the hands of the young
son of Jake and Beth, who, maybe luckily, is removed from the family and starts discovering
his roots. The scene where he gets angry and does a hakato show his resentment, while his
father vents the anger by beating his wife, shows how wrong the concept of “ being
warriors” has become. Beth states this in her final words to Jake: “Our people once were
warriors. But unlike you, Jake, they were people with mana, pride; people with spirit. If my
spirit can survive living with you for eighteen years, then I can survive anything. “
 Whale Rider ( 2003)
Directedby : NikiCaro
Producedby : John Barnett,Frank Hübner,TimSanders
Writtenby: Witi Ihimaera (novel),NikiCaro (screenplay/film)
Starring:KeishaCastle-Hughes,Rawiri Paratene,Vicky Haughton,CliffCurtis
Musicby: LisaGerrard
Cinematography: Leon Narbey
Editing by: DavidCoulson
Distributedby: NewmarketFilms(USA),BuenaVista International(non-USA)
Releasedate(s):January 30, 2003 (NewZealand),4 July 2003 (USA)
Running time: 101 min.
Country:NewZealand
Language: English, Māori

The film followsthe story of a girl, Paikea, at the age of twelveand shows the difficultrelationship with her grandfather, Koro.Sinceshe was
born she was not what everyoneexpectedher to be: her father Porourangidid not accept to becomethe leaderof the tribe and when his
wife died along with their only male child ( while Pai survived),Koro lost all hopes. In spite of the fact that he really lovesPai, he cannot see in
her the leader that he is looking for. Porourangi comesback home, after many years spent in Europe where he has becomea famous artist.
Koro’shope is restoreduntil Porourangi announcesthat he is going to go back to Berlin,in fact there he met aGermangirl whois expecting
his child. Pai acceptsto followher father but, as soon as she feels the distancebetweenher and her true home, decidestoget back to her
grandparents. Koro tries one last chanceto find the leader:he gathers all the boys of the littlevillage and establishes a Maori schoolto teach
them their culture,then setssome trials.None of the boys succeeds,only Pai, but Koro doesnot know it and hides behind aveil of defeat.A
new disgracecomesupon the tribe: a group of whales beach on the shore.This is interpretedas the final stroketo the stability of the Maoris.
In the end, Pai will be the one who, by risking her own life, will be able to save the whalesand prove Koro that she is the leaderhe has been
looking for all these years. Paikea, in fact, is also the name of one of the Maoris’ ancestor,the one who rode a whale on its back and reached
the shoresof NewZealand.
 Whale Rider ( 2003) –Analysis on the film

After a period of stagnation in Maori film-making, Whale Rider came out as a new sighting
on a rural community of Maoris dealing with modernity.The film, based on Witi Ihimaera’s
novel, draws a less brutal picture than Once were Warriors about contemporary Maoris, but
still gives the evidence of a deep tension between tradition and modernity.
As a start, Paikea, is the name of one of the Maori ancestors that are told to have reached
the shores of New Zealand riding on the backs of magnificent whales.This reference to the
traditional folklore immediately collides with the character or Porourangi: he is the one who
refused to become the leader of the tribe as his father whished and he is the one who will
leave his homeland to move to Europe. Pai’s uncle and his girlfriend are, in the same way, “
strangers” to their land: unemployed, they spend hours sitting, drinking and listening to
music like the sedentaryWestern people.The other adults, except the old ones, are all
distracted by idols and trends of the modern world. The only hope lies on the shoulders of
the boys chosen by Koro, even though their approach to the Maori school is like the one
towards a “ funny game”. Pai seems to be the only one who still regards the tradition of her
people as a precious inheritance but, while the community has to face new challenges,
everyone becomes more aware of what lives hidden in their hearts and minds.
 River Queen( 2005)
Directedby:VincentWard
Producedby:ChrisAuty
Writtenby:VincentWard
Starring:Samantha Morton,KieferSutherland,CliffCurtis,TemueraMorrison,Anton Lesser
Musicby: KarlJenkins
Distributedby: 20thCentury Fox
Releasedate(s): 2005
Running time :114 minutes
Country: NewZealand
Language: English
Budget:$15,000,000

The story is set in 1868, during theTitokowaru’sWar betweenThe Maoris and the colonizerswho intendedto expand and occupythe lands
belonging to the Maori tribes.SaraO’Brian, daughter of an Irish soldier,grew up in a European frontiergarrison.Her life mixedwith that of
the natives pretty early in her life: after getting in contactwith a smallMaori tribe living upriver, she fell in love withthe youngestof the chief’s
sonsand gave birth to a boy.The father died and, when Boy, her son, was old enough, his grandfather came and took him with him. Sara is
left alone except from a soldier,friend of her father ,who wants to help her rescuing Boy.Te Kai Po, the chief of the tribe and leaderof the
defensesagainst the advance of the European troops,is ill and asks for her help as a doctor.Sara is brought upriver to the secretplace in the
heart of the forest where the tribe lives. In this journey she is escortedbyWiremu,the brother of the boy she had fallen in love with.This is the
all-desiredchance to find her son. However,Boy has grown up with a preciseidea of membership;he belongsto the tribe and wants to fight
to protectit from the colonizers.As the conflictshardens and gets closer,Sara realizesthat Boy won’t get back home withher.She also feels
cut from her people, lostbetweentwo worlds,she lovesWiremubut despisesthe brutality of war on both sides. At the endSarahas to
decidewhere she belongsto and finally decidesfor the Maori side.
 River Queen( 2005) –Analysis on the film

The sailing up the Whanganui River recalls of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and, like
its protagonist, Sara sets off for an inner journey which leads her to explore the deepest and
darkest sides of herself and even to question her belonging to a nation.
Analysing the background of this journey, the film gives a magnificent aerial look on the
happenings of the last Maori bastions resisting the British colonisation, without standing for
one people or the other. Through Sara’s eyes you are given the chance to object both the
colonizers and the natives’ behaviour. Wiremu’s character, despite being a secondary one,
offers a typical example of what meant for many Maoris to decide whether to succumb to
the colonizers and live though loosing part of their cultural inheritance, or fight strenuously
and die.The link between him and his tribe cannot be erased but , in order to continue living
freely, he has to accept the fact that the land of his forefathers no longer belongs to the
Maoris.Those like him who fought for the Government were called kupapaand the term is
still used to define the Maoris who act like pakehaswithout being interested in their people’s
issues. When James Cook and his crew landed in New Zealand they might have caused the
same amusement and fear that a UFO would cause nowadays by landing among today’s
New Zealanders.The origin of today’s Maoris’ loss of tradition must be traced back to that
battles seen in the film. The guilt is all on the European side because the colonizers gave the
natives but two choices, both of them included a sacrifice.
FILMS OF DENOUNCIATION
 The cinema, like all the visual arts, can be used as a testimony of impact for the masses. In
the 19th century, the two World Wars, the post-war social conflicts and the contradictions of
the contemporary society have been, and still are, a field of investigation and denunciation.

Films can be seen as effective ways to make people aware of delicate issues such as violence,
drug, racism, mobbing events, etc. Both films based on real events and fictional ones, share
a visually hard and psychologically impressive approach towards the analysed situations.
Their characteristic is that of being able to uncover aspects hidden under the surface of
extremely well-considered societies or poorer contests.

As a matter of fact, cinema in Africa, where it is considered as a sort of collective reunion, has
recently developed. It generally deals with the main matters of the country: the strict
traditional rules and the young people who want to follow the Western standards at any
rate.There are no professional actors and most of them have actually experienced the
troubles shown in the film.This way, films are impressively realistic and ironical at the same
time.
Considering one of the most powerful countries in the world, the U.S.A., Michael Moore can
be seen as the documentarist of its contradictions.Thanks to a vast documentation in the
form of interviews, archive footage, amateur videos and shootings of blitzes, the testimony
of Mr Moore aimed to strike deeply the public opinion and the powerful people in the U.S.A.
Most of the films were not promoted in his homeland; only in Europe he gained some
success.

Michael Moore’s investigation dealt with many aspects of the American society. In “
Capitalism. A love story” he tells about the affairs of the big corporations which, like in a
financial game, played with the American people and brought them to a decline: wealth is
concentrated in the hands of few, this is the end of the American dream. “ Roger & me” was
about the decline of Flint ( Moore’s hometown), due to General Motors while “ Bowling for
Columbine” denounced the arms industry. “ Fahrenheit 9/11” has been one the best known
documentaries by Moore as it concerned many important issues such as poverty in the
U.S.A. and arms industry, the war in Iraq and George W. Bush’s presidency. In “ Sicko” there
is a strong denunciation of the American health-care, which is restricted to a very few rich
people, and insurance companies which demand stratospheric fees, no matter how poor the
patients are nor how severe their diseases.
 A science fiction film Moore’s denounce
which denounced a racist against Bush’s conduct
society

Filming in Nairobi The Mission (1986). It denounced the slaughters

of the Indios in South America.
 The Great Dictator ( 1940)
Directedby:CharlieChaplin,WheelerDryden
Producedby:CharlieChaplin
Writtenby :CharlieChaplin
Starring:CharlieChaplin, PauletteGoddard,JackOakie
Musicby:CharlieChaplin, MeredithWillson
Distributedby:UnitedArtists
Releasedate(s):October15, 1940
Running time: 124 min.
Country:UnitedStates

The opening scene is a battlefield.The protagonist,a Jewishbarber,is fighting among the linesof the army ofTomainia whenan officer,
Schultz,who carriesimportantsecretdocumentsasks for his help in delivering them.Their plane crashes but both the officer and the barber
survive.They are admittedto the camp hospital and get to know thatTomainia has lost.
The next sceneis set 20 years later when, in a celebrating feast, the dictatorAdenoidHynkel speaks to the nation against the Jew population.
Meanwhile,the barber who crashedwith the plane and has been suffering of memory lapses, is unaware of Hynkel’srise to power.One day,
when meetingsomeStormtrooperswho are shutting downJewishshops, he almostgets killedbut find a way to escapethanks to a
beautifulgirl he will fall in love with.
Hynkelhas becomeobsessedwith the idea of dominating the world( in a famous scenehe plays with an inflatableglobe)and plans to invade
the neighbouring country ofOsterlich. In order to do this he needsmoney and asksSchultz,now a high officer, to intensifythe persecution
against the Jews.Schultzrefusesbecausehe feelsa certainsympathy for the Jews and, after being accusedof treachery,he hides in the
Jewishghetto and plans to fight theGovernment.When found,Schultzand the barber are taken to a concentrationcamp.
Hynkelfinds a new supporterin BenzinoNapaloni,dictatorof Bacteria,and invadesOsterlich.The barber and Schultzescape from the camp
and the barber,who resemblesHynkel quite perfectly, is mistakenfor the dictator himself.AssumedHynkel’sidentity,the barber walks on
the stage and speaks for the nation: he declares thatTomainia andOsterlichwould be free nationsand democraciesand that theanti-
Semiticpolicieswould be revoked.
 The Great Dictator( 1940) –Analysis on the film

The Great Dictator bases its strength of denunciation on satire.The film is comic from the viewers’ point
of view (audience of the 21st century) but Charles Chaplin himself affirmed that if he had known the real
crimes against humanity operated by the Nazis, he would not have released the film. In my opinion,
despite the contrast between a parody and such terrible crimes committed by the Nazis Germany, it is in
any case a sign of strong reaction against injustice. Chaplin plays the dictator Adenoind Hynkel and the
Jew barber. Hynkel’s speeches to cheering crowds resembles Hitler’s angry declarations at the Nazi
conventions.The propagandistic policies of the Party are also mocked through the character of Minister
Garbitsch ( pronounced like “garbage”) who is a clear reference to Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda.
The way in which Garbitsch organizes a meeting between Hynkel and Benzino Napaloni ( Benito
Mussolini), with Hynkel being shown superior to Napaloni, resembles the rules imposed by the
propaganda office to the medias.
Nonetheless, the most evident denounce is expressed in the barber’s final speech when, mistaken for
Hynkel, is called on the stage in order to pronounce his speech in front of a huge crowd.The voice is
Charles Chaplin’s one and he invokes for a new world, of peace, freed of injustice, dictators, intolerance
and “ machine-men” who only feel hatred and greed for power. Chaplin was aware of the power of
cinema as a mean of denunciation and, in fact, his character referred to the new medias in this way: “The
airplane and the radio have brought us closer together.The very nature of these inventions cries out for
the goodness in man; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is
reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women, and little children, victims
of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.”
 Modern Times ( 1936)
Directedby:CharlieChaplin,WheelerDryden
Producedby:CharlieChaplin
Writtenby :CharlieChaplin, Paulette Goddard
Starring:CharlieChaplin, PauletteGoddard, Henry Bergman,StanleySandford,ChesterConklin
Musicby:CharlieChaplin
Cinematography : Ira H. Morgan, RolandTotheroh
Editing by:WilliardNico
Distributedby:UnitedArtists
Releasedate(s): February 5, 1940
Running time: 87 min.
Country:UnitedStates

In ModernTimes,Chaplin plays his most famouscharacter,the littletramp, for the last time on the screen. Charlot is an employeeat the
ElectroSteelCorporation;he is part of an assemblyline assignedto seal bolts.All employeesare put under the strictcontrolof the manager
and treatedlike tools.Charlot is used as a guinea pig to test a newly-inventedmachinewhich will be able to ‘feed’ the employeeswhile doing
their job. In such an environment,Charlot is driven crazy and gets fired.Unemployed,he incidentallyfinds himself in the middleof a public
manifestationand gets arrested.After exiting from prison,he meetsa girl and falls in love with her. In order to guaranteea happy life
togetherhe needsanother job, so he firstly returnsto a factory and then finds a job as a waiter and singer in a restaurant.Life in the modern
worldis hard,Charlot is arrestedmany timesduring the film but in the end we see him and the girl walking hand in hand towardsthe sunset
and, maybe, a positive future.
 Modern Times ( 1936) –Analysis on the film
The opening scene of ModernTimes draws a clear view of modern society: through a fade-in, a herd of
animals is associated to a crowd of middle-class workers.The denouncing aim is noticeably present in the
scenes of the factory: between the ever –functioning-machines and the “ human assembly line” there is
almost no difference. Moreover, this idea of machine-men is underlined by the feeding machine episode:
the runner of the factory uses one of his employees, Charlot, like a guinea pig, in order to test a newly-
invented machine which will be able to save time and money by never interrupting the assembly line at
lunch times.
Charlot’s only task is to seal bolts. As he gets mad, you can notice a childish characteristic which is
present in the whole film. He looks like a child messing up the adults’ serious roles. Due to this naivety he
is constantly involved in matters which do not really regard him and he comes to think that maybe living
in prison would be better than having to deal with all the problems of society.
Finally, another striking denouncement against the modern society is driven against the conformed idea
of happiness. Charlot and the poor girl imagine themselves living like man and wife, in a beautiful house
and with a good job. Initially this dream becomes partly true but it is soon destroyed by other accidents.
Apart from the criticism on conformity, there is a clear metaphor on the modern man: his ambition for
richness and welfare does not bring happiness but only an illusion of it, on the other hand, a more
humble aspiration can truly satisfy his pursuit of happiness.
PROPAGANDA FILMS
 The birth of the cinema, one of the most efficient means of mass communication ( along
withTV) represented the perfect way to impress political and social beliefs into the
spectators’ minds for the newly established totalitarian regimes.

Even though the Nazi and the Fascist regimes had a different experience in this field, they
both produced films of clear propaganda about the greatness of the nation, in order to hide
the horrors of the war, and the racist policies.The effective number of such films, with a
direct propaganda in them, is very little but it is contradictorily surprising that in those years
the cinema made its greatest developments.

On the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that propaganda films were made all around the
world. Hollywood produced countless films in which the American cause to march to the
World War was exalted with directors such as Frank Capra and John Ford. In Russia, films of
propaganda like Ejzenstejn’s “ The Battleship Potemkin” celebrated the socialist revolution
and, after that, the figure of Stalin.

After the II World War, films of propaganda in Europe became less and less popular and the
birth of democratic governments allowed the free circulation of ideas. Nowadays, America is
the country which still exerts propaganda in films, even if now it is covered under science-
fiction or fantasy
Fascist manifesto: “Cinematography is the strongest
weapon”

Poster of a notorious Nazi film

Joseph Goebbels
 FASCIST CINEMA

When, in 1922, Mussolini rose to power in Italy, he immediately affirmed that he regarded cinema as the
“ strongest weapon of the State” and in 1924 the Luce Institute aimed to build the public image of
Mussolini. In 1931 the Cinecittà studios were founded. In 1932 Mussolini attended the opening of the first
edition of the Venice Film Festival, a special prize called “ Coppa Mussolini” was established at the
festival.The regime created a special department ( Direzione Generale per la Cinematografia) in order to
sustain all the costs of the film productions. Other production companies such as Lux,Titanus and ERA
were launched in those years.

Until 1938, when the alliance with Hitler became stronger, the regime mainly controlled the released
films so that no film clearly against the fascist ideals was projected.The more effective way through
which the regime showed its oppressive power were the newsreels.The public information was filtered
by the government and then edited in the form of newsreel by the Luce Institute( whose meaning is:
Cinematographic Educational Union) which had the role of embellishing and presenting an exalted view
on the situation of Italy at war and the success of the regime.Thanks to the introduction of sound,
newsreels and documentaries became even more effective and had an extremely important role in
showing the greatness of Italy to the eyes of the viewers.
 NAZI CINEMA

The propagandistic films of the Nazi Germany are mainly associated with Goebbels who was in charge
of organizing the propaganda.
In 1928 he was the head of the propaganda section of the party and thanks to a particularly successful
short film he was appointed Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933. On the 1st
of July of the same year a new clause named Arierparagraph banned every Jew from the film industry.
No foreign productions were allowed unless the crew was Aryan born. On the 12th another restriction
imposed for every worker willing to enter the film industry to bring proofs of their Aryan origin for at least
two generations. On the 22nd of September the Reichskulturkammer ( Reich Culture Chamber) was
established and it controlled every production activity in the field of Art and in particular, with a specific
section, the cinema. In 1934 an office called Reichfilmdramaturg had to examine all the screenplays and
scripts and reject those not conforming to the Party standards.

Other political measures promoted the Nazi films. A professional school for reliable film makers (
Deutsche Filmakademie Babelsberg) was founded, another professional organization (
Reichsfilmkammer) was made mandatory for all actors, film makers, distributors etc. Film criticism was
prohibited and a national film award ( Deutscher Filmpreis) established.There was even a film bank (
Filmkreditbank GmbH) which provided loans for the film makers of the regime. In a few years, all the
production companies were unified under the so called UFI-group ( or new UFA).The government took
control over the whole film industry.
 NAZI CINEMA

The distribution of German films to foreign countries was under surveillance of the Cinema Film AG.
Locally, a film hire service was established and made it possible to show “educational” films to classes,
meetings and the HitlerYouth.
Not all the cinemas were owned by the UFA but several rules were introduced: every film had to be
preceded by a documentary or newsreel and no foreign films were allowed ( in particular, from 1941,
projecting an American film was illegal).The Party-Propaganda Department organized huge film events
both in cities and villages.The necessary equipment was carried from the cities to the rural areas so that
every German would be able to watch the regime films. Cinemas were so important that in 1944, anti-
aircraft units were posted to protect them.

The star system as well was under the control of the Party.The UFA press office provided the
newspapers with detailed instructions on how to present an actress or actor and they too had to follow
strict rules about their speeches and appearances. High politicians used to show in public surrounded by
film stars and so the friendship with the most powerful members of the Party became the key of success
for many stars. All actors were listed and divided on a scale which explained when they should have been
casted, it went from “ to cast at all costs even without a vacancy” to “ casting under no circumstances
welcome”. Film stars were also used in order to support the troops by collecting money during the
performances. Male stars were exempted from the military service
 NAZI CINEMA-Triumph of the Will

The films of the Party attacked the enemies, mostly the United Kingdom but also the URSS.The attack
towards the last one ended after the defeat at Stalingrad, becauseGermany did not want to catch the
attention of the URSS anymore.
Just after Hitler had announced the final solution in 1939, Goebbels ordered the production of anti-
Semitic films. “ The Eternal Jew” and “ Jud Suss” are examples of two of the most disgusting films of the
Nazi madness.The first depicted the Jews of Poland as living beings on the same level as rats who
exploited the “ pure” society; the second one was equally offensive and suggested an argument in
favour of the ethnic cleaning.
One year after, the Party wanted to distract the people’s attention from the slaughter perpetuated in
the death camps. Other films aimed at the glorification of the “ heroes” of the war, soldiers and officials.

Leni Riefenstahl is probably the most notorious film maker of the Nazi cinema. Her work was
economically supported by the Party which gave her limitless funds and the most technologically-
advanced equipment. In 1934, Hitler wanted to make the world aware of the power of the Nazi Party
and asked Riefenstahl to shoot the Nazi Party Convention.The means provided to her were limitless:
sixteen troupes shot all together and huge sceneries were built for the occasion.The target was to
convey to the viewer the magnificence of the Party’s intent. Hitler and the other politicians are shot with
many close ups and a characterization as for gods on Earth.The film is a concentration of cheering
crowds, glorious marches, military bands and Hitler’s climatic speeches. Little notice is given to the
Jewish matter.
Riefenstahl and Hitler

Goebbels, Riefenstahl
and Hitler
 Triumph of the will( 1934)–Analysis on the films

The “Triumph of the Will” was shot in the form of the traditional documentary (i.e. Following a
chronological order). After a short introduction, the film shows Hitler’s arrival by plane at the Nuremberg
Nazi Convention. His descent from the plane to the earth, symbolically represents the landing of a
beneficial divinity on the human ground. Riefenstahl then shot a series of military marches, speeches in
front of cheering crowds, conventions and parades until the ending with another Hitler’s dramatic
speech in a huge conference.

Riefenstahl based her success on some important cinematographic and visual techniques, the principal
are:
-recurrent motifs such as: ancient things (buildings, statues, icons); the sky; clouds (or
smoke); fire; the swastika and other Nazi emblems; marching; the masses with a particular attention
towards young people, children and women and soldiers.
- Hitler is depicted as a sort of god.The choice of extreme close ups, low angles ( which magnify the
figure and stretch it to the sky), high contrasts.
-solemn music, great aerial shots, camera movements which seem to be themselves following the
“will” of Hitler.
-the use of dissolving transitions so that flags carrying swastikas or other Nazi symbols endure and
seems to “label” the crowds and the buildings.
-the use of composite images where the people look the same and act like programmed machines. Over
them, there is only Hitler which looks down at them and controls their actions. In fact, the final speech
after Hitler’s one is done by Rudolph Hess who says: “ The Party is Hitler but Hitler is Germany just as
Germany is Hitler”

Gobbelsappears in the first part of the film, among the Nazi hierarchs and pronounces this speech: “ our
propaganda is born from the soul of the people and must be always oriented towards the soul of the
people, in search of their roots and their strength.The power which awaits onto the rifles is not enough.
You have to conquer and preserve the heart of the people.”
Certainly this “conquest” was clearly anticipated by Hitler’s words but accepted in order to succeed in his
god-like aim of restoring the German people. In a speech in front of thousands of young soldiers and
people he said:” We want obedient people and you shall learn to obey.You shall get used to bear
renunciations”

And among such renunciations there was also the renunciation of a free speech, freedom of the press
and freedom of Art, included cinema.
 TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGANDA

The Institute for Propaganda Analysis listed in 1938 a series of seven most common devices used in
successful propaganda films:
1) Name Calling: this technique links a negative vision to a certain figure. In the “ Triumph of the Will”, an
example of name calling is contained in Hitler’s speech when referring to the enemies of the party as “
undesirable elements which have proven to be bad”.
2) Glittering Generality: it is the opposite of name calling.The aim is to depict a high valued figure. Ex:
“our supreme Fuhrer is also supreme judge. And since we know how sacred the principles of justice are to
our Furher, we can assure you, fellow citizens, that your life and existence is secure in this National
Socialist State of order”
3)Transfer: device by which the propagandists provoke our approval for something they would have us
to accept. Ex: Hitler mystified as a Godsend and God-like figure.
4)Testimonials: Respected and well-known people are used as testimonials in order to induce the
viewers to follow their example.
5) Plain folks: technique by which the public is given a feeling to share the same views of the majority of
common people. Ex: Hitler, man of the people.
6) Card Stacking: the propagandists only shows facts or proofs that sustain their cause and defames the
enemies so that the public is led to accept the facts as a conclusion.
7) Bandwagon: it is based on the simple rule that if you do what everyone does, then you are on the
winning side and cannot be wrong. Ex: crows cheering Hitler.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

-Wikipedia;

-articles from The Dominion Post;

-www.newzealand.com;

-www.maori.org.nz;

-articles from The Guardian;

-websites, blogs and online encyclopaedias;

-“Manuale del film. Linguaggio, racconto, analisi.” by Gianni Rondolino and DarioTomasi;

-“ Cinema.Tecnica & linguaggio.” by Paolo Uccello;