The Great Dictator

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, Grace Hayle, Paulette Goddard
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
Rating: Passed
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
1940

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to take over Europe in his plot to rule the world.

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator and kind of feel bad. it's one of those movies that exists right on the line between being really good and being great, and I just didn't think it did quite enough. That doesn't take anything away from the film's effectiveness. This is a movie well worth seeing.

Chaplin completed his masterwork, Modern Times in 1936. That film ushered out the silent film era, but it allowed him to cap off his silent career with his best film (in my opinion). Four years later, he transitioned to sound with The Great Dictator. I cannot stress how amazing this is. So many actors were unable to make the move. Chaplin does it by crafting a film that is firmly rooted in his silent film roots, while also embracing sound and other "modern" inventions. It's quite amazing how this movie straddles the line between those two. In some ways, it feels like a film stuck between eras. You could look at this as a bad thing- many of the sight gags that worked wonders in the era of silent films aren't quite as wonderful when mixed with audio gags. However, I think it's mostly a positive, to pay tribute to the past while attempting to move into the future.

To be candid, the throwback silent film era gags were most of my favorite moments in this film. The barber's concussed walk down the street made me laugh out loud- Chaplin could use his body for comedic purposes in a way very few ever could. As Hynkel, the Globe Dancing scene was also hilarious. Again, Chaplin is spoofing expectations in a silly sequence that also happens to be strangely beautiful. It was fantastic. While I loved these, this movie doesn't compare to the most elaborate, wonderfully constructed gags in some of Chaplin's earlier films. It felt like these were strong suits here, but you couldn't compare anything here with what we saw in Modern Times, CIty Lights, or The Gold Rush, for example. Maybe this was due to Chaplin being older, but I wish there was a bigger standout moment.

It's interesting that perhaps the most memorable part of the film is the closing speech about peace. Getting to hear Chaplin talk for multiple minutes straight was such a delight after seeing him in many silent films. His acting during this speech was stunning and I loved the message he delivered. It was the most powerful aspect of the film and my favorite part. It takes on even greater significance when we look back, many, many decades removed from this time. We know what a monster Hitler was and Chaplin's call for peace is so powerful when we know that peace would be denied to so many.

That's one of the other things I appreciated about this movie- that Chaplin went after Adolf Hitler so directly. The whole film is lampooning this terrible man. Part of me wishes the film was even more biting- it was filmed before the true extent of Hitler's atrocities were known, so you can understand why Chaplin thought it appropriate to poke fun at Hitler. Like Chaplin himself, I wonder what Hitler thought when he watched the movie. I can only hope he was displeased.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, I do want to stress a few reasons why I didn't think it quite hit greatness. First off, the movie is probably too long for the story Chaplin tells. He toggles back-and-forth between Hynkel and the Jewish barber. His Hynkel is impressive and it allowed him to flex his acting muscles by actually talking. His barber character is the throwback to his Little Tramp days. You enjoy the scenes with the barber because it reminds you of the terrific silent film work Chaplin did previously in his career. The barber's story is less effective, especially when you focus on the supporting characters around him. It feels like many of those subplots go nowhere and don't really serve the overall story. They might create an opportunity for a comedic scene, but still felt unnecessary. They prolong the movie but we don't benefit nearly enough from them. Too many of those scenes could have been cut. Some of the other scenes overstay their welcome or aren't nearly as funny as Chaplin intended. The opening speech of Hinkel, where Chaplin throws in a few German words into a stream of gibberish is funny, but after a certain point, we get the joke... and he just keeps going. What should have been a quick hit, humorous scene drags on too long. Things like this throughout the film don't always gel and blunt the effectiveness of the movie.

I did love seeing Charlie Chaplin here. His performance is outstanding and I was happy he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor (his first and only acting nomination). Jack Oakie was humorous as well and it was fun seeing he and Chaplin interacting on screen. Oakie was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Paulette Goddard was good, but she doesn't have nearly enough to do.

This film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards- the two acting ones just mentioned, as well as Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score. Sadly, it won zero. I don't know, as I write this, perhaps I am wrong. It's so close to being a great movie, I have to admit I'm second guessing myself. I will stick to my guns, though. I think about the wonderful experience of watching Modern Times and this one doesn't feel like it reaches that level. I might revisit this in the future and I always reserve the right to change my mind. Regardless of what my rating is, The Great Dictator is an important movie and it's worth everyone's time to see it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Modern Times, The Gold Rush, City Lights