The Great Dictator - Part 1
I didn’t know what to expect going into watching The Great Dictator (1940). Admittingly, this was one Charlie Chaplin film that I have somehow managed to bypass throughout my studies and viewing, having watched certain clips here and there, but never the full film, from beginning to end. I have seen many of Chaplin’s silent films, and am well acquainted with his comedic persona of ‘The Tramp,’ having watched his films such as The Kid (1921) and Modern Times (1936), but found The Great Dictator to be an entirely different experience.
With Chaplin’s earlier work, particularly Modern Times, it is easy to laugh at the antics of Chaplin’s tramp persona, making the character little more than a clown, but with The Great Dictator I found myself laughing at the absurdity of the comedic routines and mesmerized by Chaplin’s performance and satirical caricature of Adolf Hitler. Looking back at the other films nominated at the 13th Academy Awards, it is an absolute crime that Chaplin was not awarded the Oscar for Best Actor (James Stewart won for his performance as Macaulay “Mike” Connor in the 1940 film adaptation of The Philadelphia Story, but let’s be real: that film is all about Katharine Hepburn and her performance as Tracy Lord, with Cary Grant as C. K. Dexter Haven being her main foil… Stewart’s character is merely their third wheel…). In retrospect, it is easy to see why The Great Dictator failed to bring home any Academy Awards, even though it was nominated five times, as the subject matter probably felt too ‘political’ and controversial at the time, even though the US had yet to enter World War II and critics praised the film. The Great Dictator was the second highest-grossing film of 1940, but may have resonated as being too much of a political nightmare given the uncertainty surrounding the Nazi party in Germany at the time.
The Great Dictator is an excellent piece of satirical filmmaking. I can find very little fault with the film. There are a few moments, towards the end of the film, where the editing could have been a little better, to pick up the pace of the film, and I’m not that crazy about Paulette Goddard. Granted she was Chaplin’s muse and ‘wife’ at the time this film was made, but there is just something about her performance that leaves me cold. Perhaps it is her overzealous attack of every action and line, as if she is constantly fighting for attention, even when the camera is focused solely on her… That being said, Chaplin is superb and the true star in this movie.
Between being the director, producer, and writer of The Great Dictator, what stands out is Chaplin’s acting in the dual roles of the amnesiac ex-private ‘Barber’ and dictator Adenoid Hynkel. With the Barber, we see Chaplin embrace aspects of his ‘Tramp’ persona, but in a very understated way. We can see this best within the early scenes of the film, such as when the Barber is ‘chased’ by the un-exploded bomb, and when the Barber returns to the ‘ghetto’ and finds the graffiti on his shop, being oblivious to the meaning behind the hastily painted lettering. With each of these instances, we get some classic slapstick moments, as seen in the Barber removing the paint, which provokes the ire of the Hynkel’s militaristic henchmen, providing some hilarious moments involving a paint battle and escalating comedic tension. There is also a considerable bit of pathos injected into the character (far less ‘clown-like’ when compared to Chaplin’s ‘Tramp’), particularly that heartbreaking scene in which the barbershop burns.
The most mesmerizing, and hilarious, aspect of Chaplin’s performance is that of his imitation of Adolf Hitler via his character Adenoid Hynkel. You cannot help but be impressed with the way that Chaplin captured the mannerism of Hitler, but re-packaged them into a bumbling performance that completely undermines the air of superiority Hynkel never quite achieves. One of the greatest scenes in the film is the mini dance-like scene in which Hynkel bounces the globe. It is so outrageous, and funny, you cannot help but laugh. I was truly not expecting to laugh and chuckle as much as I did with this film. The satire elements were on point, making for some delightfully nuanced performances.
What has stuck with me, however, is the line that the Barber quips upon entering the ‘camp,’ as he mistakenly gets out of line, stating that he is going to “the smoking room,” before being shoved back in line by a soldier… Knowing what we know now about the Holocaust and the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis in the concentration camps, the scenes in the film featuring the camp, and the rising tension following the Barber’s escape, become even more poignant and cathartic in hindsight. Chaplin feared that The Great Dictator would not be well-received by audiences, and has even stated that he wouldn’t have made the film if he had known the extent of the horrors, but this is precisely why I am glad that he made this film. Chaplin has given us a way to engage in conversations about the Holocaust, he has given us a slice of anti-Nazi filmmaking, and it is our duty to preserve this type of film, to use it as a teaching tool, and make sure that we do not repeat these same kinds of mistakes.
The Great Dictator is a truly excellent film, and has swiftly become my favorite Charlie Chaplin movie. The film is funny, it is poignant, and a biting political satire. I cannot help but hope that we will stop spreading hatred, as the Nazis did some eighty or so years ago, and learn to find ways to overcome our difference, to refuse to let history repeat itself, and to find ways to protect our democracy, building a “life (that) can be free and beautiful,” and where “liberty will never perish...” – Sarah
What did you think of The Great Dictator? What is your favorite Charlie Chaplin film? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and stay tuned for Bailey’s review of the film, which will be coming soon!
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane
