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Plot:
The bonus disc for Charlie Chaplin's first talking film includes some real gems. Cinephiles will appreciate the home movies shot on the set (all in color), as well as a deleted scene from "Sunnyside" ...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 13, 2008A film that is both very funny and very poignant. For making a movie as early as 1940 that showed the world the plight of the Jews in Germany, Charlie Chaplin should be commended. And the stirring, impassioned speech he delivers at the end of the film should have been America's call to declare war on Germany a full year earlier than we actually did.
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MCT:September 1, 2008
charles chaplin had said that had he known about the true horrors of concentration camps, he would never have made the great dictator. it is difficult to agree with him. it's all very well to have schindler's list...but films like this one do what they cannot: they look Evil straight in the face and laugh at it, tell it to go screw itself; more importantly, they are symbolic of Art's- and Humor's- triumph...
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MCT:August 23, 2008This grand production is a Chaplin great. The sets and costumes don't disappoint, and as cheesy as it sounds, this is one of those rarely seen classics that should be shown in theaters across the world today.
The end speech is powerful, and his choice to deliver it directly into the camera was so very effective.
It's packed with scenes of Charlie's usual warmth and humour, paired with those bearing a hefty message - this is a film we should all see to laugh and learn from. -
MCT:August 16, 2008
Versatile and improvisatory,Chaplin is hilarious as Hitler's "alter ego" producing a dazzling amount of jokes and superiority in his craft,I can even over-scale the melodramatic monologue in the finale.The appointment with the other dictator is anthology.
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MCT:August 6, 2008Chaplin plays one of his most famous roles in this film. It's also an important movie in Chaplin's carreer because it's his first "talking film". And considering the film was shot around the beginning of the war, this film was well ahead of its time.
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MCT:August 6, 2008
this could easily win a prize for the funniest movie ever....charlie chaplin is at his best performance...some very memorable scenes there...
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MCT:July 22, 2008
Charlie Chaplin was amazing. I am used to seeing him in silent films so I wasn't sure how the transistion would have been for him, but this was a great movie, that was kind of funny with its use of satire.
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MCT:July 16, 2008This film, which is directed by, written by, produced by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Despite the fact this film was released in 1940 and his previous film was released in 1936, this is Chaplin's first talking picture (The Jazz Singer, the first talking picture, came out in 1927). This film satirizes Nazism and Adolf Hitler. In the film Chaplin plays the dictator of a fictional nation along with and a Jewish barber living in a ghetto. The plot basically tells what happens as the war progresses. The plot was sort of slow at times, but overall it wasn't bad.
As for the acting, it's kind of hard to really rate. This is the first time I've seen any of Chaplin's work and he seemed pretty good I guess. His comedic style, while good, seemed very strange in a film of this nature. I didn't find many parts of the film all that funny, but I didn't think the film was ever inappropriate in its use of would-be comedy. The supporting cast was nothing special, but they were adequate. The star of this film is Chaplin and he plays his two roles rather well.
Overall, this is quite different. This is one of Chaplin's most highly-regarded films, his best box office success, and easily his most popular talking picture. The film's message is a good one and I think the film addresses it well. Chaplin's speech at the end of the film is rather uplifting and offers a lot of hope, but on the other hand it's depressing in the sense that the film was made in 1940 and the atrocities against the Jewish people were far from over at the time of this film's release. I'd say this film was good, but I wouldn't rank it amongst my favorites. Chaplin is known for his comedy and this just seems like a strange type of film to use comedy. The satire was good, but strange at the same time. Still, I'd like to see some more of Chaplin's work.
76.5/100
C
UP NEXT: Witness for the Prosecution. -
MCT:June 26, 2008
Great Movie, very strong and emotive showing hope in a time that all people were readying to war agaisnt each other, first time I saw charlie talking, never forget this movie!!!
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MCT:June 23, 2008
It's old and it is impressive. It is even more impressive if you are aware that this movie was produced in 1939 and if you know how the movie-industry in the USA reacted on it. Chaplin made a true masterpiece.
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MCT:June 21, 2008
Chaplin's comment on Nazi Germany/Hitler is as relevant today as it was then, maybe more so. I particularly liked the speech he gives at the end.
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MCT:June 17, 2008
Chaplin's first talking film. Amazing parody of the Nazi regime..but also very touching. The dancing globe scene alone is one of the most fascinating moments in film history.
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MCT:June 15, 2008
I have to say I'm upset that I haven't seen this sooner, this movie is fantastic! The story makes you laugh and cry and the speech at the end is so moving and captivating.
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MCT:June 13, 2008
some of the greatest political satire ever made. unyielding, unashamed, and groundbreaking in a time of neutral unease and PC silence. classic slapstick, witty puns, brutal satire, and a poignantly poetic ending. awesome, resonating comedy.
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MCT:June 8, 2008
Chaplin was never ever one to shy away from being controversial. He also never one to take the medium of film lightly. Though he almost exclusively produced and directed comedies in his whirlwind Hollywood film career, he was nevertheless aware of the power and scope cinema could have. No surprise then that he chose as his victim of ridicule in 1940 the personage of Hitler the then revered German Dictator and the plight of the Jewish people of Europe. Called a traitor by some of his own friends at the time, Chaplin was not at all praising Hitler as some thought but was rather pointing out the obvious fact that the Hitler like all Dictators and Emperors would eventually lose the power that he took from his people and country.
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MCT:June 5, 2008
I think I only saw the last 30 minutes of this movie, but it seemed brilliantly before it's time. I should definitely watch it again and see the whole show.
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MCT:May 30, 2008
Charlie Chaplin is the only guy I know who can make me laugh, hate him, love him, and cry in a matter of two hours.
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MCT:May 13, 2008
More serious than some of his others, every idea are simply awesome. Chaplin was a visionary. Everything he put in this movie is, as the time pass, something incredible. Awesome movie and performance. Intelligent jokes. Masterpiece.
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MCT:May 4, 2008
Thanks to my high school world history class, I fell in love with this movie. The ballet with the globe is one of the most memorable movie moments ever.
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MCT:April 24, 2008
I couldn't say all that I liked and learn, but I have to say that the end was nothing less than perfect.
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MCT:April 23, 2008
Great Performance By Chapllin, and very funny with a strong message. The speech at the end is really something.
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MCT: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 bag 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. -
MCT:April 15, 2008
"The Great Dictator" is an interesting comedy just for the comedic attack over a square-mustached Fuhrer (leader) named Adolf Hitler. It tells most of the tale of Adenoid Hynkel, the leader of Tomania, and a Jewish barber living in the ghetto. Comedic moments that made me laugh abound, including how the barber fights with the Stormtroopers (the government police officers, that is). There were even World War I flashbacks as well!
Interestingly, "The Great Dictator" is the first talkie film for Charlie Chaplin while his earliest works were all silent films. His German-like speeches that Hynkel spoke sound really funny as Tomania is making fun of Nazi Germany. Surely it was an interesting fact that both Chaplin and Hitler were born in April 1889 but were born four days apart (April 16 for Chaplin; April 20 for Hitler) and both were raised in poverty before finding fame. And Napaloni? He was making of the Italian leader Mussolini. This film was hilariously not only attacking Nazism/fascism but war as well while World War II was raging over Europe.
In short, "The Great Dictator" is a very good comedy that deserves four stars for its anti-war views. What a funny film! -
MCT:April 8, 2008
Very entertaining and funny war comedy starring Charlie Chaplin himself in two different roles. The war scenes are very well made, but I personally liked it best when The Tramp was at home. Overall another great Chaplin film.
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Comments
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andresh86posted 782 days ago -
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 todayposted 850 days ago
