The Great Dictator (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

i've never doubted or disputed that Charlie Chaplin was brilliant bordering on genius. i've just never revered him quite as i do The Marx Brothers or Monty Python, or even necessarily The Three Stooges.the reason for this, which i confess may not be quite fair, is that i've never managed to "click" with silent cinema. i'm at a particular loss to seen the appeal of silent comedy. as far as i can tell, it always seems to boil down to the same basic punchline, namely really frenetic music making the world run at about 20 times it's normal speed.but i hasten to add that his considerable talent was always perceptible, and this film more than confirms my suspicion that if he'd worked exclusively in the sound era, he might very well measure up to those comedians i most idolize. (additions to the aforementioned include Jack Benny, Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, and '70s-era George Carlin.)as if just to bear me out, The Great Dictator was the single biggest moneymaker of Chaplin's career, and has been called his masterpiece more than once.it's also his most controversial work. you can still tell that it's one of the ballsiest films ever made, but curiously, not all the reasons it was such a gamble remain readily apparent. the major obstacle Chaplin faced is that it came along a few years before any hostilities were officially addressed, before America had even considered getting into the war. there were stories of what the Nazis were up to, but they tended to be sketchy at best. Chaplin, among others who were uneasy about Hitler, was up against a consensus of opinion that, however tragic, it was ultimately none of our damn business. and because Hollywood's major studios at the time had a standing policy of not "rocking the boat" when it came to political issues, Chaplin was left to produce the film independently.ironically, it was felt that Chaplin was entitled to a more modest potshot at Der Fuhrer. for as long as people had known who Hitler was there had been jokes about his appropriating Charlie Chaplin's trademark mustache. ultimately, of course, this is about as scandalous as the baby-boomers swearing off haircuts after falling under the spell of The Beatles. even so, there was actually a time when, as far as many could tell, it was the extent of Hitler's tyranny. Hitler was actually a legitimate celebrity for at least a decade before it became all too clear that 'stache plagiarism was the least of his atrocities. now there's a twist ending worthy of O. Henry.the plot is a variation on The Prince & The Pauper. the former is represented by "Adenoid Hynkel," a Mad Magazine-esque caricature of you-know-who. the latter is represented by, in his last cinematic bow, Chaplin's iconic Little Tramp. he'd long known well that his signature role's formula wouldn't have the same magic in a "talkie," but nonetheless felt compelled to pay homage to the character to whom he owed his career. so Chaplin gradually develops his hapless barber hero from the familiar mute version to a character more readily compatible with what cinema had become. it's a seemingly natural progression, enabling the beloved character to go out with the proverbial bang.as for the Dictator, Chaplin's masterstroke is to reduce him to a delusional, petulant spoiled brat. in fact, this "spiritual leader" is such a temperamental, volatile figurehead that one wonders how such a doofus manages to get into office in the first place, let alone hold the nation together when he he gets there. this actually semi-dovetails with something that's always puzzled me about Hitler. did he really, as the story goes, sway Germany on rhetoric alone? seriously, how could someone basically scream at the audience the way he did and come off as anything but a delusional lunatic?alas, success in both the artistic and the financial senses of the word couldn't save the film from a certain stigma. at best, some called it mere gossip, an overreaction to to a story of which we'd only heard a part. at worst, there were already no few Nazi supporters in the States, who came out of the woodwork to picket the film and accuse Chaplin of misinterpreting if not slandering a distinguished elder statesman. it remained divided enough an issue to, two years later, similarly plague Ernst Lubitch's similarly themed To Be Or Not To Be. (although granted, that film's failure had more to do with star Carole Lombard's untimely death than any political rhetoric.) the truth would out, but not just yet.tragically, Chaplin himself came to have regrets about the film. he later said that, while it was certainly enough to outrage and frighten him, he had only a layman's understanding of the situation. if he'd had fuller knowledge, particularly of what went on in the concentration camps, he probably wouldn't of bothered. at the very least the film wouldn't of been a comedy.it's frankly depressing to think that outside influences could bring about such misgivings for creating about such a masterpiece. but at least they were too late to prevent Chaplin's assault on Hitler. we need laughter, particularly when confronted with what someone claims is no laughing matter. and indeed, since that was Chaplin's forte, that's how he should approach the matter. Hitler could supplant basic human rights, but he couldn't defend himself from ridicule.it's interesting to note that a few months before, The Three Stooges had launched their own assault on Hitler in what is sometimes called their own finest hour, You Nazty Spy! Moe Howard, who frequently cited this as his personal favorite Stooges episode, launches just as merciless a caricature, and due to the act's slapstick nature, resulted in an even more chaotic cluelessness on the part of their version of a despot. so well received was it, in fact, that by the end of the year there would be a sequel, I'll Never Heil Again! this may not prove much else, but is a reassurance that Chaplin wasn't a lone voice in the wilderness. others were on the same page.and of course, when the truth finally did "out," Der would-be Fuhrer's legacy had such staying power that nearly 30 years later, Mel Brooks could take some of the piss out of his with The Producers...and again when he converted it to a Broadway musical 30 years after that!today, when we can't so easily hide from the truth, the film has a new Achilles heel in a certain maudlin quality. most obviously, the ersatz Fuhrer's final speech. the inevitable switcheroo has taken place: the Dictator is detains by his own authorities, and the barber, masquerading as his doppleganger, finds himself having to address the nation and/or world his his place. here Chaplin finally gets to his central point: doesn't Germany realize what a psychotic lunatic they've handed the reins to? isn't it obvious he can't be trusted? why are we listening to this ogre when we should be pooling our efforts to topple his regime?by slipping so abruptly out of character to deliver a Roosevelt-esque "fireside chat," some have argued, he goes from an everyman underdog to a preacher.second most obviously, Paulette Goddard's character, serving chiefly as an idealist beacon of hope, has a certain Little Mary Sunshine quality which, according to some, is rather out of place.you could also argue that it provides a misleadingly pat solution in it's implication that this one speech is all it takes to make the land of Tomainina come to their senses and throw off the shackles.these naysayers are half right. such, frankly, sap would absolutely be detrimental to a simple comedy for comedy's sake like, say, Austin Powers or The Naked Gun. The Great Dictator, however, is aiming much deeper. (it certainly wouldn't be the only Chaplin production to make such use of the human element.) the film can't make it's point without acknowledging that it's target is a colossal cataclysm who tends to have less than rosy effects on the people in his wake. Chaplin had a serious message lurking within his humor.in any case, serious or comedic, what's even the point of making such a film if you're not gonna take a stand?

This is a story about a dictator modeled on a certain A Hitler. Chaplin plays both the dictator and a Jewish barber which, as might be imagined, eventually causes some interesting developments.A lot of this is very funny, and some of the fun is from moves that appear to go back to the silent film era. Other parts are not funny at all, as might be imagined given the subject matter.Nothing really nasty happens, although some bad things do. That is what makes it tame.But the depiction of stupidity in high places causing problems that threaten their own hold on power is chilling and up-to-date in our time.I watched this mostly because it plays a central role in /Iron Sky/. Feel free to have a different reason to watch it, if you decide to do so.

In The Great Dictator (1940), Charles Chaplin creates a comedic imitation of Nazi Germany and its leader Adolf Hitler. Charlie Chaplin directed, wrote, produced, starred in, and scored the movie, which rarely seems to be the case in films. There is not much of a specific plot to the movie, but more an embarrassing representation of characters that represent Hitler, Mussolini, and the fascist party. Chaplin intertwines many elements to criticize the fascist leader and antisemitism of the time. Having Chaplin play the Jewish barber was ironic because it makes the overarching point that this supreme leader is essentially the same as the people he is eradicating. Chaplin comically includes the opening caption, "Any Resemblance Between Hynkel the Dictator and the Jewish Barber is Purely Co-Incidental."  Another example of Chaplin making bold moves in offense to Hitler is how he portrays Hynkel in a boyish manner. Chaplin presents Hynkel as an angry child, poking fun at Nazi Germany's leader at the time. When Hynkel is giving his speech and saying Weiner schnitzel and sauerkraut in a German accent, Chaplin is further playing up stupid comedic jabs.Some of the lines included in the movie take serious shots at Hitler's motives and actions during the time period. At one point, Hynkel sends one of his men to a concentration camp, and this man says to him, "Your cause is doomed to failure because it's built on the stupid ruthless persecution of innocent people. Your policy is worse than a crime; it's a tragic blunder."Many advised Chaplin not to make the film for fear of censorship issues, but he went forward with it anyway. Not only was he told it would run into censorship issues with Nazi-occupied countries, but oddly in Britain and the U.S. as well. Even after these warnings, Chaplin went ahead with the film, which ended up being a wild success. The speech at the end of the movie is incredible, Chaplin makes you feel like you are in the audience at the speech, and his words come across as timeless. He addresses the issues in the movie and at that time globally while seemingly addressing future conflict among citizens of the world simultaneously.

Charlie Chaplin löst mit diesem Film aus 1940 das Grauen in Komik auf, ohne dieses Grauen ins Lächerliche zu ziehen. Es bleibt stets präsent, wie ein roter Faden, an dem sich alle - aus unterschiedlichen Positionen: Täter und Opfer - entlang hangeln müssen.Die Pomp-Kultur des Dritten Reichs, Grössenwahn und Arroganz der Mächtigen werden ad absurdum geführt, ohne die Gefährlichkeit des Nationalsozialismus zu verniedlichen, das wird in jeder Minute des Films mehr als deutlich. So wäre es denn auch falsch, "Der grosse Diktator" schlicht als Komödie und eine Parodie auf Chaplins Bart-Zwilling Hitler zu bezeichnen. Es steckt doch sehr viel mehr hinter dieser politischen Satire.Wenn Hynkel spricht, etwas "Wichtiges" zu sagen hat, dann in einer erfundenen Kunstsprache, die einerseits das Harte, Unbarmherzige, andererseits durch eingeflochtene Worte wie "Sauerkraut" und "Wiener Schnitzel" das Komische zum Ausdruck bringt...bis sich selbst die Mikrophone vor Angst oder Abscheu biegen. Eine Sprache, die auch für die Leere der NS-Ideologie und Haltlosigkeit ihrer Grundlagen steht.Unübertroffen bleibt die Persiflage auf Hynkels Grössenwahn in der berühmten Balett- / Tanzszene mit dem letztendlich zerplatzenden Globus.Herrlich ironisch-sarkastisch ist auch die Namensgebung der Mitstreiter Hynkels gelungen. Feldmarschall Herring/Göring ( ein wunderbares Wortspiel aus Hering und Herr ). Propagandaminister Garbitsch/Göbbels (garbage=Müll). Der verbündete Benzini Napaloni/Benito Mussolini ( eine glänzende Anspielung auf einen Möchtegern-Napoleon) aus Bacteria.Missgeschicke werden zu grossartigen Szenen aufgebaut. Beispielsweise, wenn Napaloni mit "Mama", seiner Frau, auf dem Bahnhof eintrifft, der Zug vor und zurück rangiert und immer wieder der rote Teppich hin- und herverlegt werden muss. Denn Napaloni steigt nicht aus, wenn kein roter Teppich vor seinen Füssen liegt. Der anschliessend vom Zaun gebrochene Streit zwischen den beiden Diktatoren um Osterlich (Österreich) gehört sicherlich zu den makabersten und zugleich komischsten Szenen des Films.Chaplin zeichnet, trotz der lebensbedrohlichen Situation, gerade das Ghetto als einen Hort von Menschlichkeit und Solidarität : im Verhalten der Nachbarn Jäckel und Hannah. Aber auch in der Szene, in der er im Takt von Brahms "Ungarischen Tanz Nr.5" einen Kunden rasiert.Wenn, ausgerechnet mit Musik aus Wagners "Lohengrin" untermalt, am Schluss des Films der jüdische Barbier, der für den grossen Diktator gehalten wird, vor den organisierten Massen und Soldaten auf die Empore steigt, auf der "Liberty" eingemeisselt ist, und seine berühmte Rede hält, dann sehen wir nicht mehr den Friseur, sondern Charles Chaplin selbst.In vielen Szenen des Films wird deutlich, wie stark Chaplin noch am Stummfilm und seinen, für ihn prägenden Möglichkeiten orientiert und dennoch aufgeschlossen für den "neuen" Tonfilm war. Zudem beweist er seine Genialität ebenso, indem er zeigt, wie eine vollkommen tragische Situation durch Komik "erlöst" werden kann.Eine Konfrontation von Komik und unermesslicher Tragik, überzeugend in der Balance aus Humor und Ernsthaftigkeit bei dieser so brisanten Thematik, die das NS-Regime zwar leider nicht stürzen konnte, aber das Herz und den Verstand von Millionen Menschen erreichte.Was für ein einmalig grandioser Film...unbedingt sehenswert...und aus der Geschichte der Filmkunst nicht mehr wegzudenken..

Charlie Chaplin finally moved out of the 1920s and accepted that silent films were gone with his first 'talkie'. Yet Chaplin, like so few masters of the silent screen manages to translate to the new era of cinema. The film begins at the very end of World War I, with Chaplin as the hapless soldier. This is classic slapstick humour and it is what made Chaplin great. He slips into a comar after a plane crash and does not wake up for almost twenty years, not realising that his native Tomania is now ruled by an insane dictator - Adenoid Hynkel (also Chaplin). His speach in pigeon German will have you howling. Although the strength and sentimentality of the film may have faded, it is important to remember that this film was released in the first year of World War II, when it seemed likely that Europe would be under the Nazi jackboot in months. Chaplin treats the most unfunny of subjects with the most vicious of satires, and somehow managing to turn one of the most evil governments of all time into a laughing stock. However the comedy of the film is just as powerful. The site of the little barber swallowing endless coins and his clash with the 'Hairy Aryans' in the street is hysterical. Of course, it as the Great Dictator himself that provides the real star of the show. His dance with the inflatable globe is an iconic moment of cinema, and when the ruler of Bacteria (Italy), Napoloni (Jack Oakie) comes to town you will likely fall off the sofa. The food fight and the barber's chairs had me crying. The DVD itself is superbly presented, remastered and clean picture and there are enough extras to keep you happy until doomsday. It is the film that will attract you though, and it should keep you coming back again and again.

I enjoyed a lot of the silent and early films that used to get played but this one alluded me for years.Chaplin was supposedly king of Silent comedy, but his genius at comedy and its use to raise a awareness of the futility of following a repressive regime was at the time seen as strike at fascism.But this film could still hold water today when looking at the political scene in North America and Europe today with a inspirational classic speech for freedom and morality.Brilliant.

I had only seen short clips of this film before watching it and was unsure what to expect. The film is a curious mix of slapstick humour, politics and high art, switching quickly from hilarious to serious and back again and again as the film goes on. Personally I like it: Chaplin brings together a great balance where there is not too much of any aspect in this film. There are enough laughs to keep the politics interesting and enough politics to prevent the laughter obscuring the danger depicted in the film. It is not the light entertainment of modern satires on dictators like Hot Shots but is a beautiful, informative and funny film. No matter which bits you watch it for you'll find the others good too.

one of the greatest films I have ever seen!! 6*. it goes from silly, the most spine tingling speech in modern history, you can actually see the emotion in Chaplins face