Speed of Life

by Gregg Chadwick The First Grader , a new film directed by Justin Chadwick and produced by Richard Harding and Sam Feuer, opens today May 13, 2011 in Los Angeles and New York. Since I wrote the following review in March, I have seen the film again and attended a marvelous question and answer session with Justin Chadwick, Naomie Harris, Richard Harding and Sam Feuer. I met Justin at that event and he mentioned that people were asking him if his brother had written a review of the film. Justin and I are not knowingly related but I am sure if you follow the genetic path you will find that there is a connection somewhere in the distant past. In honor of my artistic brothers and sisters and their beautiful film, The First Grader , I am posting my thoughts on the film below. I recently attended a pre-release screening of this poignant and numinous movie set in the Rift Valley in the mountains of Kenya. The First Grader, like Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, seamlessly combines st...

Charlie Chaplin's Final Speech in the "Great Dictator" subtitled in Farsi From the New York Times lede blog: Watching Charlie Chaplin in Tehran By ROBERT MACKEY In a brief update on Friday, the Twitter feed IranRiggedElect says that the video embedded below, of Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in the 1940 film “The Great Dictator” with Farsi subtitles, is popular on Iranian social networks at the moment. In this scene, Chaplin’s character addresses a fascist rally, while impersonating an Adolf Hitler-like leader, and denounces militarism and dictatorship: Amid signs that Iran’s military may be increasing its power, it is not hard to imagine why supporters of Iran’s opposition might be heartened by Chaplin's speech calling on soldiers to “fight for liberty.” A sidenote, Portrait of Charlie Chaplin by the French artist Fernand Léger from Léger & Murphy's Ballet Mécanique More at: Cubist Charlie Chaplin, Fernand Leger (1923-4)