Review of The Great Dictator (1940) by Brett C — 29 Dec 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

Chaplin has proven to me that he is a brilliant comedian and an intelligent sentimentalist, telling stories that are memorable and engaging. The Great Dictator benefits from its interesting political premise that delivers strongly during its final minutes, but it sadly fails to engage me through its characters. In this film, we see Chaplin take on the role of two different individuals, and both are equally given screen time. It is because of this attempt of balance that characters are not as fleshed out as I wanted them to be; I found the dictator to be a dull character to watch, despite its satire on the German leader. The barber was a little better because his story was more inspiring and heartfelt. I also felt the film suffered from comedic dryness, with the tone of the film seemingly more serious and dire as I hoped from a satire; it shows Chaplin in a different light as a director and actor but unfortunately it does not pay off. The Great Dictator is also the start of Chaplin's use of audible dialogue and it is obvious that he is still getting the hang of it, as many of the scenes throughout lack the impact that he intended for them to create. Despite all of these complaints, there are still some moments in the film that ultimately worked, I liked the relationship between the barber and his neighbour Hannah, and some of the scenes in the film did gain a laugh from me. I just simply wished it would be much more, reaching the heights that The Kid and The Gold Rush was able to deliver.