Audacious, extravagant, contemporary and darkly hilarious

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2012)

One of the funniest opening sequences followed by a highly audacious, extravagant, contemporary and darkly hilarious work of Charlie Chaplin ending with a rousing poignant speech. While playing his run-of-the-mill tramp character with his usual flourish, Chaplin delivered a masterstroke as Hynkel - a mockery of Hitler by generating laughs from the eccentricity and egotistic nature of the character. By making a comedy out of the highly precarious situation of the Jews exactly during the full blown Holocaust might have garnered a reputation for bad taste, but enough care was taken not to hurt feelings and all the angst is directed towards the fascists.
A Jewish Barber (Charles Chaplin) suffers amnesia after getting injured in the war saving a General. The barber remains contained in a hospital staying ignorant to the ascent of a tyrant Hynkel - the eccentric dictator of Tomania (Charles Chaplin again) and the condition of his kind. When he stands up to the harassing fascist soldiers after walking into the turbulent world he earns love of Hannah (Paulette Goddard) but wrath from the fascists saved timely by the General. Meanwhile Hynkel is plotting to invade Osterlich by tricking Napolini, the dictator of Bacteria into pulling back their army.
Charles Chaplin is already a legend in playing the tramp character, but Hynkel was a different ballgame for him. It is a character of aggression, superiority and eccentricity but still clumsy as the tramp. The war sequences, rich palace settings elevates the scale of the movie compared to his previous outing, an equally magnificent 'Modern Times'. Chaplin is a gifted all rounder with a profound writing talent that always portrays the triumph of looking at life in positive outset and a sense of humor. The background score is melodious and rich according the situations. Paulette Goddard looks aged and heavy compared to 'Modern Times' but retains the charm and infective energy she possessed there. The remaining actors and the technical departments do an apt job in putting together this masterpiece.
Audacious, extravagant, contemporary and darkly hilarious