Review of The Great Dictator (1940) by Ryan V — 22 Mar 2012
Charlie Chaplin's first talkie is also a scathing lampoon of Adolph Hitler. Chaplin plays both a caricature of the dictator as well as a lookalile Jewish barber who is comatose until the anti-semitic fascists take over.
The plot of this movie is pretty scattered, but it pulls together thanks to Chaplin's talent for visual humor and his supreme earnestness. Those who consider Charlie Chaplin to be overly sentimental will likely have a low opinion of this film.
Others, however, will be moved by this movie's sincerity about the Jewish plight, the nature of all-consuming war, and the need for humanistic decency in the wake of technological advances.
This review of The Great Dictator (1940) was written by Ryan V on 22 Mar 2012.
The Great Dictator has generally received very positive reviews.
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