Review of The Great Dictator (1940) by Ricky C — 25 Aug 2011

It goes without saying that this is a top-knotch slapstick comedy from a very prolific filmmaker of the time; to be realistic, that's often not enough for some. Even comedies as recent as the eighties find trouble connecting with modern audiences, so the idea of a 1940's black-and-white film from Charlie Chaplin not making teenage girls laugh is very understandable.

The premise of the film, as well as it creation, do, at least, make it worth showing in history classes around the country. Chaplin is clearly taking a brutal stab at dictatorships of the decade, the most prominent undoubtedly being Adolf Hitler.

He makes a mockery of every aspect of the German giant, down to his flamboyant, non-sensicle, and sometimes flatout obvnoxious methods of expression (and while I don't speak a lick of German, I can assume that, during his temper tantrums throughout the picture, not a word of it was actually spoken.

) Chaplin, a Jew, also portrays the hero of the story: a Jewish barber who had been hospitalized from the first World War, only to find his home town transformed into a ghetto upon his return. Both the dictatorship and the struggle of the protagonist are told in a way that only a comedian like Chaplin could: humor, humanity, and a touch of commentary on the human condition.

It's also worth noting how was released before America had even considered getting involved in ending the Nazi reign. Only after the battle was brought to us in Pearl Harbor did anyone take Chaplin's message seriously.

Now, the reason this movie earned (yet another) five out of five stars, and the reason why I believe every human being on the planet should view this movie at least once, lies in the ending. Through a series of fortunate (and funny) events, the barber is mistaken for the Hitler-inspired tyrant and is expected to give a speech to his people, who just witnessed an invasion of another country by their army.

I was already aware of this speech's noteriety as one of the best (sometimes THE best) cinematic monologues in existence. Rather than playing for laughs, Chaplin delivers a 100% genuine philosophy on the nature of iron fists, warfare, and freedom.

Without getting into exactly what is said, I will confess full-heatedly that even before its half-way mark, I was already brought to tears. The biting jokes made at monsters of World War II are enough to satisfy fans of classic comedies and film buffs alike.

It's build-up and payoff at the end, however, rank it as one of the all-time greatest movies I've ever seen. If you get the oppurtunity to watch it, do so. You won't regret it.