Review of The Great Dictator (1940) by Micah F — 07 Apr 2013

When Charlie Chaplin finally brought his Tramp character into the world of talkies, it was bitter-sweet. On the one hand, it was a legendary actor/director fully working with sound after a long stint of seemingly avoiding it altogether, but on the other hand it was to be The Tramp's last hurrah. In his final film portraying the part that brought him so much fame, Chaplin really knocks it out of the park. Developed as an answer to the tyrannical rantings of Adolf Hitler in the last 30s/early 40s, it would later grow into the primary template for the modern political film, and the most prolific movie of its era.

There are some truly fantastic films throughout his whole arsenal including the classic "The Gold Rush" and more hidden gems like "The Kid", but with this film Chaplin went beyond his standard level of greatness and created a film that still resonates with us today emotionally as well as politically.

Two scenes in particular stand out above the rest, however. One is where the dictator is doing a beautiful dance with a large balloon of Earth. It symbolizes in the most non-violent, beautiful way just how power-hungry and prepared to conquer the world Hitler was. The second scene is at the end when Chaplin takes the stage with a beautiful, heartfelt speech about the truth of human empathy. It's enough to make you cry. Maybe.