In 1940 the first talkie by
famous actor Charlie Chaplin was released under the title of “The Great
Dictator”. This revolutionary film tells
the satirical story of Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin), the dictator of the
fictional country of Tomania. This film
from Charles Chaplin Productions and
directed by Charles Chaplin was and remains a timeless hit in the film industry
for numerous reasons, but none more important than its satirical commentary on
the Fascist rule of Adolf Hitler. The
film can be enjoyed by everyone; it is 125 minutes of pure comedy and political
commentary during a time when Hitler had a tight grasp on free expression but
the U.S. had not yet gotten into the World War II efforts. “The Great Dictator” is a great film that
uses a truly magnificent script to get its anti-fascist message across and
thanks to this script it gets a 9.5/10 rating, overall this film is terrific.
“The
Great Dictator” is the first time that silent movie star Charlie Chaplin stars
(and directs) in a talkie. The film
follows the story of dictator Adenoid Hynkel as he rules over the country of
Tomania. Chaplin plays two roles in this
movie, that of the dictator and that of a Jewish barber who comes back from
World War I with amnesia only to find that his barbershop is now in the middle
of a Jewish ghetto controlled by Hynkel’s police called the storm
troopers. When the Barber and his
friends are suddenly thrown into concentration camps the plot takes another
twist in which the Jewish barber and Hynkel are mistaken for each other, and
all of a sudden the barber becomes the dictator of all of Tomania. Through different chain of events and the
most breathtaking speech in movie history we are shown how the dictatorships
should be regarded as evil and how truly heinous Hynkel’s dictatorship is under
the symbol of the double cross.
Being
a film from the 1940’s “The Great Dictator” is not a blockbuster movie full of
action and special effects like “Avatar” or “Harry Potter”. In Fact the movie is in black and white and
lacks much of the video and audio quality we have come to expect of modern
movies. This movie is a timeless hit
however, this is not because it makes you feel like you just left an acid trip
or because your hearing is all but gone when you leave the theater, it is a
timeless hit because of the use of a spectacular script to make one of the most
ingenious movies in history.
During
the 1940’s, when this film came out, Adolf Hitler was not the heartless monster
we all know and hate today. During the beginning
of his rule of Germany Hitler was seen as an ally of the United States and most
of his crimes against humanity were not as well known. However, Charles Chaplin (director, actor,
writer, producer and pretty much the sole person responsible for “The Great
Dictator”) could see through the farce that was Hitler’s image and so came out
with this film. During the time however
directly mocking the dictator would have been career suicide and so the film
turned into a satire. Through his
ingenious writing Chaplin turned out a script for this film that would become a
case study for scriptwriting for decades to come.
Chaplin’s
satire uses every aspect of the script; from the use of dialogue itself to the
mere fact that Hitler decided to use the same facial hair fashion as the
star. Chaplin uses the script to create
a satire of Nazi Germany that is clear as day, yet uses no real names,
countries or symbols. The satire of the
film is where the director’s/writer’s genius lies. If we look at the character of Hynkel and the
barber Chaplin uses his own physical similarities to Hitler as a tool in the
film to connect the audience to the thought of the real dictator without
directly creating a link, after all who can blame him for looking like
Hitler? The script aptly connects the
real world problem in Germany with the film over and over again with no direct
mentions and so the script is a masterpiece of political satire.
In
the true form of a classic Chaplin film “The Great Dictator” is full of gags
and slapstick comedy that is good enough to captivate any audience in its own
right. Scenes such as the awkward dance
of the dictator with a balloon and the barber chair lift race between the
dictators leave the viewer laughing for a big part of the film. However like any true political satire the
script is full of political undertones that are hard to miss if one pays
attention to the dialogue. By ridiculing
and undermining Hynkel throughout the movie Chaplin shines a light on the evils
of Nazi Germany and undermines their position as a legitimate government. This all culminates with the 5+ minute speech
delivered by the barber (who is thought to be the dictator) at the end of the
film. Instead of the script finishing
the movie with good humor as is found in most comedies, it ends with a simple,
prolonged, direct shot of Chaplin’s character where he uses his own voice to
present his ideas and warnings about dictatorships in the form of a
speech. This scene is the culmination of
one of the most valuable scripts in film where the story ends with a message
that will resound throughout history.
Often
times in reviews we praise an actor whose ability and role are of prominent
importance to humanity, however Charles Chaplin is more than that. The writer, director, star and owner of the
production company of “The Great Dictator” Chaplin’s vision for this film came
to life as a warning to mankind of the dangers of Dictatorships. In a time when most of the United States and
the western world saw Hitler as an ally, or just someone who wasn't their
problem Chaplin put his career on the line in order to send one simple but
important message “Nazi Germany and any dictatorship is dangerous.” Through this film he did not only provide
momentary laughter to millions of viewers, but he used satire to expand the
minds of millions and get them to question the validity of a Dictator.
“The
Great Dictator” is a jewel of cinema whose script became a case study for
decades to come throughout the world. The
film was one of the first true political satires during a time when the
political environment was dangerous and no laughing matter. Charles Chaplin created a true piece of art
that made millions laugh, question and think about the political atmosphere of
the time. Because of this ingenious use
of script and the social significance it had, I give “The Great Dictator” a
rating of 9.5/10 and sincerely hope that the use of film as a medium for bold
revolutionary ideas will keep on for the rest of the life of cinema.
*Spoiler Alert: Final Speech Video Below
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