October Film Club: The Great Dictator
Our October Film Club Pick was an absolute no-brainer. We could have debated Halloween themed films for weeks, struggling to narrow down the list of our favorites, but instead we chose to go with a film celebrating a major milestone.
On October 15, 1940 Charlie Chaplin released The Great Dictator, a politically driven satire that blends a ‘Prince and the Pauper’ type story set amidst the backdrop of World War II and the rise of Nazi Germany, which celebrates the 80th anniversary of its release this month. Our selection of The Great Dictator, as our October Film Club Pick, stems from the recent news articles pointing to the staggering lack of knowledge that many young people have concerning World War II, specifically the Holocaust (check out some of the facts and figures from Time and the Claims Conference). We cannot help but think that this is the perfect time to revisit this film given the current political climate, the need to preserve history, and the duty we all have in educating the upcoming generations, so as to prevent a recurrence of the atrocities of the past and pave the way for a better future for all.
The Great Dictator, as a work of satire, depicts a condemnation of Adolf Hitler, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazi regime. Upon the film’s release it was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Outstanding Production, Best Actor (Chaplin), Best Writing (Original Screenplay), Best Supporting Actor, and Best Music (Original Score), but failed to take home any awards during the 13th Academy Awards ceremony, losing out to such titles as Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940, winning Outstanding Production) and even Disney’s Pinocchio (1940, winning Best Original Score). It will be interesting to watch The Great Dictator, particularly when thinking retrospectively about the events this film was up against upon its release, as World War II (1939-1945) was well underway, but the US was still neutral and would not enter the war until after the Japanese bombing of the American Naval fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, with the formal entry into the war on December 11, 1941…
While writing about The Great Dictator in his autobiography (simply titled: My Autobiography), Chaplin states: “Had I known of the actual horrors of the German concentration camps, I could not have made The Great Dictator, I could not have made fun of the homicidal insanity of the Nazis” (Chaplin, 1964, p. 392). What Chaplin could not foresee would be just how influential his film has become, inspiring people like Mel Brooks (The Producers, 1967), and paving the way for some similarly satirical takes on Nazis, as seen in the recently released and Academy Award winning film, Jojo Rabbit (2019, dir. Taika Waititi). We, the Team at The Film Rewind, hope that, in selecting The Great Dictator as our October Film Club pick, you will take the time to watch the film and reflect upon its messages, especially the film’s final plea that we build a world that “has room for everyone…”
What are your thoughts on our October Film Club Pick? Have you seen The Great Dictator before? Share your thoughts in the comments below and be on the lookout for our reviews and discussion of this film towards the end of the month.
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane
