The Great Dictator

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The Great Dictator (15-Oct-1940)

Keywords: Comedy, WWII

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for

Charlie Chaplin Actor 16-Apr-1889 25-Dec-1977 Silent film comedian

Henry Daniell Actor 5-Mar-1894 31-Oct-1963 British-American character actor

Billy Gilbert Actor 12-Sep-1894 23-Sep-1971 Comic actor and vaudevillian

Paulette Goddard Actor 3-Jun-1910 23-Apr-1990 Reap the Wild Wind

Jack Oakie Actor 12-Nov-1903 23-Jan-1978 The Great Dictator,

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 12-Mar-2006)

If you are curious about the work of Chaplin and want to see just one of his films to discover why he was an icon of yesterday and remains one today, this is it. This was his first "talkie" in which he actually has speaking lines and was made during World War II, in which he plays a character that is clearly Adolf Hitler. Jack Oakie plays the role of Mussolini and between the two of them, the result is a film that holds up beautifully more than 65 years later. At the end is a beautiful speech that Chaplin gives out of character in which he calls for peace, love, tolerance and an end to all the destruction and loss of life, which has seemingly become a whirlwind spinning out of control. A timeless message indeed. What makes this film so entertaining are all the subtleties; the fabricated German phrases, idiotic gestures by Hitler and Mussolini, while showing how terrifying these years were for those who were forced to endure it. Not only is this film classic entertainment, it teaches love and kindness to all; this would be a great film to watch with elemetary age children; even if they don't understand all the subtleties of the dialogue and are yet to learn about WWII in school, they are sure to be entertained by the slapstick humor and learn about what movies were like oh-so many years ago. Watching this film is definitely time well spent.

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