Bernard Gorcey, Billy Gilbert, Carter DeHaven

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23 critics

G, 2 hrs. 6 min.

Directed by: Charles Chaplin

Release Date: January 1, 1940

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003

Stats: 1,502 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,502)


  • November 12, 2009
    One of the greatest films ever made. Charles Chaplin got it so right with this film, it's a timeless classic and an important film historically. I can't recommend it enough, it just has to be seen. Make it a priority film fans!
  • July 22, 2009
    The more I see of Chaplin the more I am astounded by the depth of his talent. For those who only associate Charlie Chaplin with silent films, The Great Dictator is a must-see. His genius for physical comedy is nearly equaled by his adeptness of dialog. Hilariously funny an...( read more)d timeless.
  • April 22, 2008
    "We've just discovered the most wonderful, the most marvelous poisinous gas. It will kill everybody."

    Charlie Chaplin quickly became one of the greatest film comedians in cinema history. His films are constantly full of such witty satire, quirky characters and a mixed b...( read more)ag of hilarious gags.

    With The Great Dictator I feel that Chaplin has really excelled himself. Although not nearly as good as Modern Times, this addition to Chaplin's résumé is one that is still remembered as one of the greatest achievements in cinema history.

    The Great Dictator is a film that spoofs Adolf Hitler and his stance against the Jews that eventually initiated the Second World War. Naturally, the film was a very bold move for its time. While in pre-production no-one ever thought that it would actually be made. A year later the film was in the can and ready for release. The film met with a mixed critical reaction but was a big commercial success.

    Many will find Chaplin's style of humour quite hilarious but others may not. It depends on your taste. With The Great Dictator there's a host of purely brilliant gags ranging from sight gags, slapstick gags or just witty dialogue. Heck, I even found it hilarious when Chaplin was doing actions that were accompanied by specially synchronised music. Oh, and a very special mention to the hilariously clever title cards at the beginning of the movie that already had me laughing.

    But what I found to be even more genius was that even with scenes of drama as opposed to humour, the film makes an impact. And for this reason it is groundbreaking. Chaplin's speech delivered towards the end of the movie was an especially brave move on the part of the filmmakers. It's qualities like these that we never find in modern comedies like something starring Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler. Unlike these two men, Chaplin's productions are actually brilliant because they take a chance. While still being mighty entertaining in terms of side-splitting gags, he actually delivers a potent message through the films he created.

    The Great Dictator is the story of a young Jewish barber (Chaplin) who loses his memory after crashing a plane (that he was riding in upside down) during World War I. When he returns home he's admitted to an asylum. But after escaping the asylum he is unaware of the dictator named Adenoid Hynkel (also played by Chaplin) who has implemented laws against the Jews. He is also unaware of the stormtroopers at Hynkel's command who are persecuting Jews due to his policies and beliefs.

    Chaplin plays duel roles here, and does so extremely well. Despite having moustaches for both characters he is capable of showing distinction between the two. He's an exceptionally talented actor who can have the audience laughing by means of physical gags or just a spoken line.

    Amongst the memorable scenes we have the dictator playing with a balloon globe, the dictator struggling to look superior to his rival, and a very amusing scene during which barber chairs are elevated to quite enormous lengths. However my only complaint would be the film's length. All the better gags are at the beginning of the film unfortunately and it feels a bit overlong, running at about 2 hours. But even despite the length, the film moves at a brisk pace and is highly entertaining (and essential) viewing.

    A very important production. The film also marks Chaplin's first full sound feature.
  • February 3, 2008
    Pending Review...

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  • July 26, 2007
    Chaplin's most entertaining, if not best, performance of his legendary career. The funniest of Chaplin's films, this holds up very well. I watched it more recently and still enjoyed it very much. I laughed more than I had in a long time, and the movie proves to be one of the smar...( read more)test comedies ever made.
  • October 27, 2009
    Some of you can say "not the funniest Chaplin movie" but you cant deny its braveness.Actually i didnt watched "Monsieur Verdoux" but it should be more brave.Because they banished Chaplin after that movie.But i watched this one.And i agree it is the best of Charlie Chaplin.
  • October 20, 2009
    "I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other...( read more)'s happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge as made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; 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. To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. Soldiers! Don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you, enslave you; who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines, you are not cattle, you are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don't hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers! Don't fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, it is written that the kingdom of God is within man, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people, have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world! To do away with national barriers! To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance! Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite! Hannah, can you hear me? Wherever you are, look up Hannah! The clouds are lifting! The sun is breaking through! We are coming out of the darkness into the light! We are coming into a new world; a kindlier world, where men will rise above their hate, their greed, and brutality. Look up, Hannah! The soul of man has been given wings and at last he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow! Into the light of hope, into the future! The glorious future, that belongs to you, to me and to all of us. Look up, Hannah. Look up!"

    The Great Dictator (1940)


    Director: Charles Chaplin
    Country: United States of America
    Genre: Comedy / Drama / War
    Length: 125 minutes

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    There are many things that can be said about The Great Dictator. First of all, it is perhaps the most serious film Chaplin ever made. Limelight was a touching drama as well, but The Great Dictator is a brilliant criticism to the fascism of World War II. The film was made during the most controversial historical period possible: 1940. Charlie Chaplin stated himself that if he had known the horrors that the Holocaust would bring in years to come beforehand, he wouldn't have made this film in the first place.

    The performance of Chaplin as both Hynkel and the Jewish barber are awesome, but he is ultimately genius as Hynkel. Chaplin made the greatest parody of one of the most brilliant but cruelest persons that ever lived in history. The main reason why Chaplin's parody is so brilliant is because of the way he imitates German and the way Adolf Hitler made speeches, which although they didn't necessarily made complete sense or were coherent, attracted the attention of the blind masses.

    Of course, Chaplin starred, directed, wrote and produced the film one more time, besides composing the musical score. By the way, the musical score is pretty good, although not his best. He has definitely made better efforts with films like City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936), but even so, the music is amazing.

    The film obviously has outstanding and brilliant moments of extremely smart humor and slapstick gags, especially during the first 20 minutes throughout the WWI sequence, keeping his unique and remarkable style still alive. The editing is amazing and so are the performances by the supporting actors and actresses. Also, I think this is the most elaborate and complicated script Chaplin ever constructed because of the thematic material it handles.

    The Great Dictator deals with a fascist dictator who is mistaken for its double during WWII, who is actually a Jewish barber. The film got 5 Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Music, Original Score, Best Picture and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

    Last aspect I'll mention about the film without giving any spoilers is the ending. Due to the context of the film and Chaplin's past projects, one expects since the beginning that it will end with a hilarious gag or joke. However, it ends with one of the longest and best spoken quotes I've ever seen in cinema history from an actor in one single shot. Chaplin proves with his first non-silent film that he can really act and portray different personalities with an incredible talent. The ending was perfect. All in all, although The Great Dictator was the most mature, controversial and political film by Chaplin so far, it is not far from being a masterpiece. Very recommended.

    92/100
  • October 10, 2009
    this could easily win a prize for the funniest movie ever. charlie chaplin is at his best performance.some very memorable scenes there.this movie has it all : some many laughs you forget any other crappy comedy you've seen before, but also, some serious, humanitarian message. ver...( read more)y chaplin-esque. it wouldn't be magnificent otherwise.
  • September 23, 2009
    Chaplin's masterful and very humorous attack to the insanity that is Nazism. And just like Mr. Chaplin's silent films, "The Great Dictator" as a full talkie, still has its fair share of golden moments. Though a lot can be mentioned when asked "What is the funniest sequence?" in t...( read more)he film, my favorite is the whole state visit to Tomania by Benzino Napaloni, it's just funny to think what could have happened if Hitler and Mussolini acted that way. And the final speech, somehow caught me off-guard, because I expected the Jewish Barber to blabber nonsensical things, but instead, Charlie Chaplin delivered what maybe is the best monologue in cinema history. This is without a doubt, one of Chaplin's greatest achievements, and inspired many other war parody films, such as "Dr. Strangelove".
  • September 7, 2009
    A Chaplin masterpiece.

    A Jewish Barber: The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in...( read more). Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge as made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.

Critic Reviews


October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is a funny film, which we expect from Chaplin, and a brave one. full review

View more The Great Dictator reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • andresh86
    August 20, 2006
    Beautiful, lighthearted attack on Nazi Germany. Sure it has a few flaws (for example the end speech doesn't really go with the character of A Jewish Barber), but that can be easily overlooked when you have a comedy that actually works as a drama when needed. One of my personal favorites and an all time classic that is still revelant.
  • s2Melissa
    June 14, 2006
    Through the use of satire, wit and ingenuity Chaplin is able to reflect his ‘anti-fascist’ ideology and expose the folly and stupidity of the fascist regime.

    He presents Hitler as a sort of caricature; he falls down stairs, slips on banana peels and etc he plays childish games with his friend and ‘brother dictator’ Benzino Napaloni of Bacteria (a thinly veiled parody of Mussolini, the fascist Italian dictator).

    A memorable scene is one in which he preforms a dance with a globe of the world which is a strikingly poetic expression of the dictator’s desire for brutal world domination. The scene is so incredibly horrific and insane that it become hysterical to imagine any human being behaving like this.

    Lots of propaganda films were made during WWII but how many appeal to basic humour and common decency? Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” displays sharp wit, timing and compassionate tangibility thats relevant even today

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The Great Dictator Trivia


  • Adolf Hitler banned this Charlie Chaplin film in Germany and all countries occupied by the nazis. However, Hitler did view the movie twice. Upon hearing this, Chaplin said, "I'd give anything to know what he thought of it." Which movie was it?  Answer »
  • What silent-era filmmaker's first talking movie was entitled "The Great Dictator"? (1940)  Answer »
  • In which movie did Charlie Chaplin mock Adolf Hitler?  Answer »
  • What was the first dialogue film for Charlie Chaplin?  Answer »

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