The Great Dictator

Charles Chaplin, USA, 1940, 124 minutes

Over a dozen years after the introduction of sound in cinema, Chaplin eventually succumbed to making his first 'talking picture'. Nevertheless, while 'The Great Dictator' does use dialogue, there is still a good deal of visual humour throughout, which was always the Chaplin's forte. It is a wonderful amalgamation of biting satire, slapstick and sentimentality.

The plot rails against the horrors of tyranny and racial persecution, "an interim in which Insanity cut loose, Liberty took a nose dive, and Humanity was kicked around somewhat." Chaplin plays two roles, alternating scenes with the foolish dictator of Tomania, Adenoid Hynkel, who is an obvious imitation of Hitler. The second is a Jewish barber, in the guise of his trademark character The Little Tramp, the insignificant man fighting an indomitable enemy, beloved by worldwide audiences. Amongst the cast are the beautiful Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie playing an parody of the egotistical Mussolini.

The story behind this production is fascinating, with the director proclaiming that he wouldn't dare have portrayed Hitler as a clumsy oaf if he had known the full horror of the Jewish persecution. Chaplin's gutsy stand against Fascism is undoubtedly the largest contributor to the film's popularity today, as while the script has many sublime comedic moments, they are often lost in the propaganda. The highlight is the famous globe juggling scene, with Hynkel daydreaming of world domination with the grace of a ballet dancer.

The story is flimsy, the characters simplistic, and cloying sentiment is abundant. However this remains a cinematic landmark, most commendable for its stand against tyranny, but also funny and warmly engaging.

Review by Clyde Bruckman
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2008