One of the Finest Pieces of Cinema in the Past 70 Years

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 2014)

Charlie Chaplin was an actor and director who was known for his very unique style of slapstick and comedy in general. This was his first venture into all-talking, all-sound film, thirteen years after the end on the silent era. The result was one of the finest pieces of cinema in the last 70 years. First impressions are, for any veteran Chaplin fan, simply familiar territory. We see a hapless private during the war fail at the most basic tasks and be humiliated for it. Then we see a ludicrous bomb spin around the flour in circles after our supposed protagonist. Personally this form of comedy is not to my tastes yet Chaplin is one of few comedians able to make it work for me, leading more to my great respect for this filmmaker. This really sets the tone for the film of serious situations and events portrayed in a more accessible way for the audience. Considering the 1940 release this was very important in order to raise awareness of the war in Europe. And it is clear that this was one of Chaplin's goals as the conclusion to the film shows. Chaplin gives a typically on form performance filled with great timing and physicality that he became famous for. Hilarity ensues whenever he wants it to and this fact is why he is one of the greatest comic actors of all time. In many ways this is a one man show, not suggesting the supporting cast is in any way irrelevant or underwhelming. They are just great for Chaplin to bounce off. Yet combined with him leads to some brilliantly choreographed sequences. The sets are visually impressive when coupled with this choreography and the mise-en-scene overall has to be commended. Its comedic twist on authentic, what was current eastern European lifestyles and militaristic parodies of Nazi uniform and propaganda are ingenious. All this combined makes for a fantastically memorable film that has stood the test of time, yet it is considered one of the all-time greats. This is because of, what I consider to be the most potent, relevant and emotionally impactful speech in not only cinema history but in the last one hundred years. The raw, unrelenting passion Chaplin exudes during these defining moments are is nothing short of beautiful. What makes this so expressively vivid is how, as a modern audience member of the twenty first century, I can see how the same problems remain after all these years. Chaplin glimpsed a future without division, without hatred, anger, war and intolerance, a future we could so easily attain. Yet we are all human, something The Great Dictator shows will just lead to the same problems again and again as Chaplin's character fails again and again. Yet with the courage and hope he gains at the very end, the world changes. As The Great Dictator shows, without hope all is lost.