Great movie, important position

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2017)

The Great Dictator was released in 1940, before the true magnitude of atrocities committed by the Nazis was known. The character of Adenoid Hynkel is obviously Adolf Hitler and the character of Benzino Napalon, played by Jack Oakie is obviously Benito Mussolini. Written and directed by Chaplin, it is truly a masterpiece. The movie begins with Chaplinisk slap-stick comedy, which had me rolling with the silliness of it. But, as the film progresses, the theme changes and by the end, when Chaplin delivers the closing speech, the raw emotion is very nearly overwhelming. Sadly, though there is no longer an obvious monster to despise and blame for the ills of the world, the film remains poignant and pertinent. "Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose- stepped us into misery and bloodshed." The speech has as much applicability to our modern world as it did in 1940. It remains for me a monumental mystery that we are continually being shown the harshness and callousness of society, yet we continue along the same path.
The Great Dictator is a wonderful, germane, comedic, powerful, moving testament to human nature. Hopefully, one day we will graduate from our ignorance.