The Great Dictator

Yet another film about Hitler. But so different from any you've seen before. Not quite serious and not quite funny. And in deadly earnest in places you wouldn't expect. I wish I'd seen this on the big screen for the riveting scenes, in particular the dance with the blow-up globe, shaving the man in time to Brahms, and of course, the final speech. At first, I thought I was going to be distracted by the fact that sound was coming out of Charlie Chaplin's mouth, but I quickly forgot that and was wowed by his genius. I didn't think it was possible to make a film that is knee-slappingly funny in parts and so poignant in others that tears well up. I can't think of a recent film that's done that to me. It is ridiculous to me that some critics call this "a film that seems an indictment of the Nazi regime." Seems? Even in hindsight I don't think it's possible not to see this as a blistering attack on right-wing politics and the treatment of Jews, at the very least. It's no wonder he had to escape the US for his left-leaning tendencies not meshing with McCarthy politics. But what a pity that we didn't get 20 more years of good film out of him.

year: 1940
length: 124 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032553/combined