The Great Dictator Movie

The Great Dictator
Rating:
Run Time: 126 min
MPAA Rating: G
Released: 1940
Directors: Charles Chaplin
Genre/Type: Comedy
Anti-War Film
Political Satire
Producers: Charles Chaplin
Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson
"This is the story of the period between two world wars--an interim during which insanity cut loose, liberty took a nose dive, and humanity was kicked around somewhat." With this pithy opening title, Charles Chaplin begins his first all-talking feature film, The Great Dictator. During World War I, a Jewish barber (Chaplin) in the army of Tomania saves the life of high-ranking officer Schultz (Reginald Gardiner). While Schultz survives the conflict unscathed, the barber is stricken with amnesia and bundled off to a hospital. Twenty years pass: Tomania has been taken over by dictator Adenoid Hynkel (Chaplin again) and his stooges Garbitsch (Henry Daniell) and Herring (Billy Gilbert). Hynkel despises all Jews and regularly wreaks havoc on the Tomanian Jewish ghetto, where feisty Hannah (Paulette Goddard) lives. Meanwhile, the little barber escapes from the hospital and instinctively heads back to his cobweb-laden ghetto barber shop. Unaware of Hynkel's policy towards Jews (in fact, he's unaware of Hynkel), the barber gets into a slapstick confrontation with a gang of Aryan storm troopers. He is rescued by his old friend Schultz, now one of Hynkel's most loyal officers. Thanks to Schultz's protection, the ghetto receives a brief respite from Hynkel's persecution. The barber sets up shop again, developing a warm platonic relationship with the lovely Hannah. But things take a sorry turn when Hynkel, angered that a Jewish banker has refused to finance his impending war with Austerlitz, begins bearing down again on the Ghetto. Near the end of the film, when the dictator is expected to make another one of his hate-filled, war-mongering speeches, the barber steps up to the microphones...and Charles Chaplin drops character and becomes "himself," delivering an impassioned plea for peace, tolerance, and humanity.

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In Chaplin's satire on Nazi Germany, dictator Adenoid Hynkel has a double... a poor Jewish barber... who one day is mistaken for Hynkel. full summary | add synopsis
He was known as the most powerful military leader and conqueror of the ancient world. Alexander was considered a dictator even though he admired the Greek idea of democracy. He wanted people to worship him and some reported that he truly be...
Aw heck, it is not an appropriate answer but I shall answer anyway... Singwell already answered it. That was a good movie. It always sticks in my mind how Chaplin had to pour water down his pants after a speech because he became, the audi...
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Cast

Actors Character Born
Charles Chaplin Adenoid Hynkel, Dictator of Tomania Apr 16, 1889 in London, England
Charles Chaplin Jewish Barber Apr 16, 1889
Paulette Goddard Hannah Jun 3, 1910 in Great Neck, Long Island, NY
Jack Oakie Benzino Napaloni Nov 12, 1903 in Sedalia, MO
Reginald Gardiner Schultz Feb 27, 1903 in Wimbledon, Surrey, England, UK
Henry Daniell Garbitsch Mar 5, 1894 in London, England, UK
Billy Gilbert Herring Sep 12, 1894 in Louisville, KY
Grace Hayle Mme. Napaloni
Maurice Moscovich Mr. Jaeckel
Emma Dunn Mrs. Jaeckel Feb 26, 1875 in Cheshire, England
Bernard Gorcey Mr. Mann
Paul Weigel Mr. Agar Feb 18, 1867
Peter Lynn
Nita Pike Aug 1, 1913
William Arnold
Chester Conklin Jan 11, 1888 in Oskaloosa, IA
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Back to the topReview

Review by Dan Jardine
After a five-year absence from movies, Charles Chaplin took on a dual role in his first full-length talking feature, famous for its comic attack on Nazi Germany (and Adolf Hitler in particular). The script was written before Hitler's invasion of Poland, and Chaplin subsequently noted that, had he known the scope of the evil perpetrated on Europe by the Nazis, he would never have made them the subject of this lampoon. Not as maniacally funny as Chaplin's classic comedies of the 1920s, The Great Dictator has more in common with Chaplin's later films, which were more lyrical in approach and more overt in their socio-political messages. In this case, the proselytising turned out to be prescient, as Hitler would soon prove Chaplin's concerns well-founded. This was one of very few films made in the West before World War II that dared to take on Hitler and Mussolini. Still, many critics found fault with Chaplin's approach, claiming that, by portraying German Nazis and Italian Fascists as schoolyard bullies and buffoons, Chaplin was cheapening the impact of their evil actions on millions of Europeans. Despite these criticisms, Chaplin's lampooning of Hitler is a moment of comic genius, complemented by Jack Oakie's ridiculously exaggerated portrayal of the Mussolini-like Italian fascist (nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor). The Great Dictator is loosely structured, lacking the tight pace and sense of direction of Chaplin's best films: its long-winded concluding speech is the most egregious example. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Chaplin for Best Actor.
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