November 20, 2015badfish

video We Will Always Have Paris

As with most things, you need to be careful what you do, and what you say.  But what can you say about Paris?  I’d like to slow things down. I’d like to weave the world into full lotus, listen to it chant sacred words. I’d like to levitate the world in meditation.

Or I could simply quote a holy man, perhaps Swami Satchidananda, or some holy book. But maybe Charlie Chaplin says things as well as anyone. Although this 1940 movie received numerous Oscar Award nominations—among them, best actor and best screenplay (written by Chaplin)—it was the beginning of the end for Chaplin in America. People with closed eyes never see very far, never see what is true in the world. They cannot see beyond a word in order to view the whole paragraph. They cannot see beyond a paragraph to understand the entire book. They cannot see past a book to fathom the depths of life.

If history is any predictor of the future, we may always have a Paris somewhere in the world. But hopefully, we will always have a Charlie Chaplin, also, to offer hope and peace and love. And light, to lead us toward a brighter path away from our dark nature.

Maybe we could ask ourselves this question: WWDD?

What Would Duncan Do?  Certainly not give up.

 

Find other entries for DP Photo Challenge here: Victory

Find other entries for DP Power of Touch here : The Power of Touch

138 comments

  1. You’ve made me cry Mr Badfish. I have loved that movie and speech for many years but seeing that speech here again now makes me realize that we have learned very little in the past 70 years. But like Duncan, I will not give up hope. I still believe in goodness of humanity overall.

    PS. I love your phrase ‘People with closed eyes never see very far’

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  4. Badfish, this is beautiful. so many quotable quotes in that video i wouldnt know where to begin. Now i feel very bad about hoping you’d come back soon with another long rambling post to make us all laugh.

    instead, you are weaving the world into full lotus.
    I am humbled.

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  6. Yes indeed. I wrote on this topic myself this morning, BF. I may link back to you here, in fact, if you don’t object.

    My answer: Plato’s Cave Allegory.

    That says it all, as far as I am concerned.

    Peace, friend. ❤

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    • Yeah, that cave allegory thing: I think Plato was a guru and gravitated through other worlds, other dimensions and into shadows. Maybe what we see and “know” is tip of an iceburg of reality?

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      • Have you ever read Krishnamurti? Gurdjieff? Meher Baba? That is exactly what they tell us. And Osho, who said, “We are standing and facing the same sunrise. The only difference is, my eyes are open and yours are closed”. Indeed.

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    • Oh, well, it kinda puts Hitler in a good light. This was actually made at the beginning of the war, before Hitler became known as the person he became. That was just the beginning. He was later accused of being a communist. This, along with some “personal” issues, one involving a 17-year-old actress…he was deported. Geniuses are rarely understood. Maybe that’s my problem?

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  10. I love this film. I actually have a DVD of it on my shelf over my left shoulder as I type this out. Chaplin took quite a risk making it and it’s a shame that he was labeled in some people’s mind as a pinko-commie agitator forever afterwards.

    I think it’s a movie that still holds up pretty well today. The final speech is timeless, of course, and I love the scenes when Benzino Napaloni turns up and the two dictators try to outdo each other.

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      • The speech scene is much more earnest than the rest of the movie and I believe was criticized by some at the time who felt it was a bit preachy. I think considering he was taking on the NAZIS, he can definitely be forgiven.

        My favorite scene is the one where the two dictators are in a barber shop and are each trying to raise their chair higher than the other’s. 🙂

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          • I have quite a lot of old DVDs. For a whilea few years ago, a local store was selling them off at an amazingly cheap price — so cheap I’d sometimes buy a few on my way home to see what they were like. The Great Dictator was one of the better ones. 🙂

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          • Ha! In Bali, you can buy DVD’s for $1 each. So I have tons of movies and TV series. Tons. Last visit I bought so many, I had to buy an extra bag to put them all in to bring them home on the plane.

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          • That’s amazing. It’s probably lucky I’m not in that situation or I might never part from my television set again. It’s hard enough to get myself heading toward work in the morning as it is.

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      • He was intentionally making a statement, knowing how certain people would see it. He used his fame knowing it could sink him but needing to stand up to say what needed to be said.

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          • I’d like to think they can see how we’re on the edge of making the same kinds of mistakes, but people see only what they want to see. I saw a headline today that was scary, because I don’t think it is true. I think the media made it up to people would think other people were thinking this so they should, too. I didn’t have a chance to check it out. It said – “The American people are calling for war.”.I think the people are tired of sending people to war and to think we are calling for it at this stage is ludicrous – we were not even the ones attacked. But I do think the war hawks would like to turn the refugee situation into war – they are not the ones who have to die. But they are priming the sheep the way they did for 911

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          • There is no way, really. All any of can do is sit back and see how it is manipulated and hope enough of us have our eyes open and don’t just believe what they tell us.

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          • Today I rewrote the post I added to yours. I researched some of the info I put on it (and turned it into a book) That clip you posted is powerful.

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          • I have a grandson graduating from HS this school year. He is determined to go into the Marines – all hung up on the whole macho aspect. This year, through the recruiting office he is already in training every day. Yes, physically he has really blossomed, but he is too young to understand the ramifications of going to war. The political unrest right now make it a very dangerous decision. The young believe they are protecting democracy without realizing we lost our democracy a long time ago. He only sees it as his only option and a way to get an education, with perhaps no arms or legs. Scares the daylights out of me.

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  11. As a world traveler, you would have a keen sense of these things. Thanks for sharing yours and Duncan’s thoughts. ;^) :^)

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  13. Such an ageless speech. Still so current.
    Why was that the beginning of the end for Chaplin?
    Thank you so much for sharing this, Badfish.
    Peace,
    Mary

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    • Mary…right, timeless and current. I just answered this a couple of comments ago…check it out there. Chaplin may have been a genius, but he pissed off some people, got kicked out of the country.

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  17. Amazingly, he (Chaplin) received 5 nominations for The Dictator and later stated that he was so appalled when he learned the extent of the Nazi atrocities that had he known he might not have been able to make it. Of course, the full extent of the power this one man wielded over the nation is absolutely incredible, not to mention those countries that joined forces with him.
    I think you aptly stated once, “Why can’t we just get along?!”

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      • I was in plank all morning!! So painful! But ended in lotus. 🙂 I can’t wait for you to experience Maldives! Hope I haven’t over-sold it. Is that possible? I don’t think so. I’m still thinking about the sunsets and water.

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        • yeah, I don’t think you can oversell that place…I mean, white sand, an over-water bungalow in paradise with coral and green water. Not to mention the dang Mexican beer! I do not like the price, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and go first-class. I know, it’s a bummer, but some of us have to do it. I haven’t made flight plans back yet, because I don’t know yet where I’m going after the Maldives–maybe home, maybe India. I need someone to help plan!! But no…no surveys to readers—just can’t trust those guys!

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          • Well…part of my problem is that the planes to India from Maldives stop off for like 8 hours in Sri Lanka. I was there for a short period once. I found it not so intriguing, didn’t really want to go back. I was at the beach near Colombo (it was just a beach). But where did you go, what’s to see. Maybe I really will just follow you around–Olhuveli, Bhutan, Sri Lanka.

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          • Go to tea country for two nights, hike up Adam’s Peak for sunrise, then head to the southeastern coast and go track leopards (and tons of other wildlife) at Yala National Park. We didn’t go too far north — would love to have seen Sigiriya. Search my blog for Sri Lanka and you’ll find one post with all the info about where we went. We hired drivers along the way, but I hear it’s pretty easy and cheap to arrange for a local to drive you everywhere for a week (and see the real Sri Lanka; like another Made!). I’m off to Whistler to ski tomorrow but if I think up any other dreamy plans I’ll let you know. 🙂

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          • Oh, man. Now I have a decision to make, and I’m just not good at decisions. Maybe I’ll just stay home, and simply reblog your post on my blog and pretend I went everywhere you went. Thanks for the suggestions. Stand by…

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          • are you kidding…your writing is sooo powerful, and some of your lines just blow me away! I just talk about poop in my stories…people seem to like it! what’s that say about people?

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        • Wait…literally plank, literally all morning? Send me a photo of your sixpack, girl. Do you do yoga, or just plank? Plank has always been easy for me (I’m not fat). Handstand…not so easy.

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          • Not quite all morning. 🙂 I have done yoga, but prefer ballet. Since being in Canada I’ve gotten hooked on the Bar Method. It is intense, painful even. The tiniest movements that work big and small muscle groups. Tons of curls, crunches, planks… all of which I love. Hate the push ups but my arms have never looked better. This morning I took the advanced class. Worse than ever and fantastic at the same time. Six pack is re-appearing after too many gin & tonics in Singapore.

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  20. I have not heard this speech before or seen the movie but I am intrigued, is he playing the part of Hitler? If so the speech is so strong but if it was meant to be made by Hitler we all know what he did to democracy, freedom and peace. Words can inspire but also entrap.
    I’m with Duncan, never give up…

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  21. I remember watching that years ago. And yes, what you say is right. There are people who can see what is going on and many feel helpless because nothing is as powerful as what the rich want. The current president ALWAYS gets blamed, but really, they aren’t the ones calling the shots. Money talks and bullshit takes over. When I read the stupidity that comes out of people’s mouths it so often pisses me off because they actually are stupid. I will continue to point out right from wrong but I don’t know how much good it does. We sing to the choir but we don’t reach those who have their heads so far up their collective ass and enjoy having it there.

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    • Hahaha! But really, Sonni, why sugarcoat things, why don’t you tell us what you really think?
      But you are right…we’re always and only singing to the choir. The guys with closed eyes are also deaf. They always have been. No matter who they are. We can only flick the mala beads and pray for change. However, we must not underestimate the size of that collective ass chock full of heads.

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      • Actually I’m not very good at sugar coating things. I think perhaps you say that tongue in cheek. Most people, no matter what the issue, won’t look outside the box their mind stays in because they only want to hear things that agree with what they believe. They get angry when asked to think about “why” they have those beliefs. Those people can’t be reached and that is why this world is imploding.

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        • nope, you don’t sugar coat much! Beliefs…these are simply things that someone else told you were real. and you believe them. Then it’s real for you. (not YOU, Sinniq) people in general that you mention

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  24. “We will always have Paris”… I happened to be in Paris last Friday, visiting a friend and my initial thought after that weekend was that I don’t know if the Paris of my memories exists anymore. I know that my friends in Paris are carrying on as normal, but for me it will take some time to remember happy thoughts when I think of Paris, since I don’t visit that often. Great Chaplin quote 🙂 Have a sunny weekend, Baddy!

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    • It is just like the US. People look outside on a sunny day and pretend all is well. Many want to pretend, especially those over 60 who were alive before the damage was so noticable. My mother is 82. She sees what is wrong but she has memories of a better time and prefers to think there is nothing she can do so she ignores it and tries not to think of her great grandchildren. Young people, though, will never have those memories. They have always known fear and uncertainty. We try to carry on as usual but it gets harder to do that every day.

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  28. Reblogged this on Watch and Whirl and commented:
    Charlie Chaplin had no idea how appropriate his eloquent words would still be today, when he was portraying a different, kinder, compassionate Hitler in the movie that got him kicked out United States. What would the world be like now if our government had not turned a blind eye to the atrocities Hitler was committing, instead of using the situation to let wealthy Americans become wealthier.

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  30. Badfish first my apologies for missing this post. Secondly I am sad to say I had never seen this speech before. How apt at this time. As dark as this world seems my the light be found in small ways through each of us.

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  32. Just as relevant today as the day he recorded it, unfortunately. But I like to think that as we continue to encounter each other online, we’re slowly realizing that people all over the world have more similarities than differences and working together is better for everyone. I don’t know if I’m right, but I like to think that…

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