one of Charlie greatest and most Controversial

Rating: 10/10 (7 July 2005)

***May have a spoiler or *** The great Dictator is a satire on Nazi Germany. Staring Charlie Chaplin as the Dictator Adenoid Hynkel (dictator of Tomania) and Jack Oakie as Benzino Napaloni and Paulette Goddard as the smart and sassy Hannah. The great dictator may sound a dumb movie and not worth your time, but honestly it's one of Sir Charlie finest works! The movie starts off in the First World War were Charlie plays a solider and loses his memory but alas the world goes on. When he recovers he goes back to his barbershop. You see Charlie not only plays the Dictator but a Jewish barber. This is the time where the Jews were separated. Soon he meets and befriends Hannah (a girl who is fed up what is happening to her people) and an old war buddy. But sadly things get worse when Hannah and her family flee and run into a safe land but the barber and his friend Commander Schultz (his war buddy) are sent to Concentration Camps. Until the Barber is mistaken for Adenoid Hynkel. This movie may sound like a horrible comedy about Nazi Germany but it's a great movie. First off the movie was made in the 1930s when Nazism wasn't a threat and it was more like a comedy with some great truth. Charlie Chaplin is not only playing the dictator but an oppressed barber who wants a chance to speak. In fact the movie is quite serious at times. Take for example there is a scene were a group of men decide to comment suicide.)i'm not telling you what happens) The movie has some great comedy parts and some great drama parts that will make you cry. Chaplin isn't being frivolous but is telling the truth. When there are sad and scary parts there is no incongruity. Those scenes are meant to be like that. It isn't one of those action packed movies that have guns or lots of killing but a movie you have to pay attention to, you have to think! Some may consider this politic movie and yes at a certain angle. I would like to point out is that this movie is the only one who can show us people not born before the WW2 the true feelings that people had before the war but it was released when Nazism was indeed a threat in Europe. Some say the film is overrated but I disagree it's a great film. I believe that everyone should have the chance to see this because not only it's a war, drama and a comedy but also it may teach our youth who have seen way to much violence and not much truth in movies. I'm not telling you the ending but a assure you, you won't forget.