A film that is still relevant today.

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2019)

The world in 1940 was a different place. Fascism was on the rise and no one thought that it was a threat to world peace. Chaplin chose anti-fascism and anti-racism as the themes of his first talking film, a move that was at odd with the public sentiment of the time or, at least, of the United States, which was trying to maintain neutrality during World War II. Despite opposition from some people, Chaplin proceeded with the film's production. This film excellently uses humor to satirize totalitarianism and militarism of Nazi Germany. I really love the scene where Field Marshal Herring rushed in to inform the Great Leader of the discovery of "the most wonderful, the most marvelous poisonous gas" and further enthusiastically stated that "It will kill everybody". The film also highlight the persecution of Jewish people fueled by irrational racism and the hunger for power of the Nazis. The most memorable moment of the film is surely the final speech by the Jewish Barber. Chaplin did it with such a passion that almost everyone will be captivated by the speech. The call for peace, cooperation and democracy in the speech is still relevant to these days. And that is unfortunate because that means the problems pointed out in the film still exist in the present day although may be not as severe as in the past.