The Great Dictator

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The Great Dictator
Directed by	Charles Chaplin, Wheeler Dryden
Produced by	Charles Chaplin
Written by	Charles Chaplin
Starring	Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	October 15, 1940 (USA)
Running time	124 min.
Language	English
Budget	$2,000,000
IMDb profile

The Great Dictator is a film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. First released on October 15, 1940, it is a satire of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. Chaplin's film is highly exceptional for this period (1940), when the United States was still at peace with Nazi Germany, for its fearless satire and condemnation of Hitler and Nazism, and for its vivid portrayal of the plight of Jews in Europe. It holds the distinction of being both Chaplin's first "talkie", and his most commercially successful film.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast and analyses 3 Making of the film 4 See also 5 Notes 6 Additional references 7 External links

[edit] Plot

The film begins during World War I. Chaplin, as an unnamed private in the army of the fictional nation of Tomania, valiantly attempts to rescue an officer named Schultz (Reginald Gardiner), only to lose his memory when the plane the two had taken off in crashes into a tree. Schultz escapes from the wreckage, and Chaplin spends the next 20 years in the hospital, thoroughly oblivious to the changes that are taking place in Tomania: Adenoid Hynkel (Chaplin in a double role), now the ruthless dictator of Tomania, has undertaken to persecute Jews throughout the land, aided by ministers Garbitsch (Henry Daniell) and Herring (Billy Gilbert).

The amnesiac soldier returns to his barbershop in the Jewish ghetto, still unaware of the political situation, and is shocked when storm troopers smash the windows of his shop. Later, he finds a friend, and ultimately a love interest, in Hannah (Paulette Goddard), a beautiful resident of the ghetto.

Meanwhile, Schultz, who has come up in the ranks in the intervening 20 years, recognizes the barber and, though surprised to find him a Jew, orders the storm troopers to leave him and Hannah alone. Hynkel, in addition, has relaxed his stance on Tomanian Jewry in an attempt to woo a Jewish financier into giving him a loan. Egged on by Garbitsch, Hynkel has become obsessed with the idea of world domination. (In one famous scene, he toys with a large, inflatable globe to the tune of a theme from Wagner's Lohengrin.) On Garbitsch's advice, Hynkel has planned to invade the neighboring country of Osterlich and needs the loan to finance the invasion. Eventually, the financier refuses, and Hynkel reinstates his persecution of the Jews, this time to an even greater extent.

Schultz voices his objection to the invasion, and Hynkel orders him placed in a concentration camp. Schultz flees to the ghetto and begins plans to overthrow the Hynkel regime. Eventually, both he and his barber friend are captured and condemned to the concentration camp.

Hynkel is initially opposed by Benzino Napaloni (Jack Oakie), dictator of Bacteria, in his plans to invade Osterlich. After some friction (and a food fight) between the two leaders, a deal is made (which Hynkel immediately breaks) and the invasion proceeds successfully. Hannah, who has since emigrated to Osterlich, once again finds herself living under Hynkel's regime.

Schultz and the barber escape from the camp wearing Tomanian uniforms (featuring the double cross in parody of the Nazi swastika). Border guards mistake the barber for Hynkel (with whom he shares a remarkable resemblance). Conversely, Hynkel, on a hunting trip trying to make up his mind about the invasion, is mistaken for the barber and is arrested by his own soldiers.

The barber, who has assumed Hynkel's identity, is taken to the Tomanian capital to make a victory speech. Garbitsch, in introducing "Hynkel" to the throngs, decries free speech and other supposedly traitorous and outdated ideas. In contrast, the barber then makes a rousing speech, reverting Hynkel's anti-Semitic policies and welcoming in a new era of democracy. The text of the speech can be read at Wikiquote.

Hannah, despondent over the recent events, hears the barber's speech on the radio, and is amazed when "Hynkel" addresses her directly: "Hannah, can you hear me? Wherever you are, look up! Look up, Hannah! The clouds are lifting, the sun is breaking through! We are coming out of the darkness and into the light! We are coming into a new world; a kindlier world, where men will rise above their greed, their hate, and their brutality. Look up, Hannah!" The film concludes with Hannah indeed looking up, with a renewed sense of optimism.

[edit] Cast and analyses

The film stars Chaplin as Hynkel and the barber, Paulette Goddard as Hannah, Jack Oakie as Napaloni, Reginald Gardiner as Schultz, Henry Daniell as Garbitsch and Billy Gilbert as Field Marshal Herring, an incompetent advisor to Hynkel. Chaplin stars in a double role as the Jewish barber (the Tramp in all but name) and the fascist dictator, clearly modeled on Adolf Hitler.

The names of the aides of Adenoid Hynkel are similar to those of Hitler. Garbitsch (pronounced "garbage"), the right hand man of Hynkel is very similar to that of Joseph Goebbels and Field Marshal Herring was clearly modelled after the Luftwaffe chief, Hermann Goering while beyond doubt the "Diggaditchie" of Bacteria, Benzino Napaloni, was modelled after Il Duce, Benito Mussolini.

Much of the film is taken up by Hynkel and Napaloni arguing over the fate of Osterlich. Originally, Mussolini was opposed to the German takeover since he saw Austria as a buffer-state between Germany and Italy. This conflict is almost forgotten today given Italy's support for Germany during World War II.

The film contains several of Chaplin's most famous sequences. The rally speech by Hynkel delivered in gibberish is a true-on caricature of Hitler's oratory style, which Chaplin studied carefully in newsreels.^{[citation needed]} Chaplin, as the barber, shaves a customer in time to a radio broadcast of Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5, recorded in one continuous take. But the film's most celebrated sequence is the haunting ballet dance between the power-mad dictator and a balloon globe in his palatial office, set to Richard Wagner's Lohengrin Overture.

The film ends with the barber, having been mistaken for the dictator, delivering an address in front of great audience and over the radio to the nation, following the Tomanian take-over of Osterlich (an obvious reference to the German Anschluss of Austria on March 12, 1938). The address is widely interpreted as an out-of-character personal plea from Chaplin. Chaplin's controversial speech, seen as an overtly political speech, may have contributed to the litany of reasons he was ultimately denied reentry in the United States during the McCarthy era. (See the article on Charlie Chaplin for further detail).

The signs in the shop windows of the ghettoized Jewish population in the film are written in Esperanto, a language which Hitler had condemned as a Jewish plot.^[1]

[edit] Making of the film

The film was written and directed by Chaplin, and was shot largely at the Chaplin Studios and other locations around Los Angeles (such as Laurel Canyon). The germination of the idea undoubtedly came from the physical resemblance between Chaplin's Tramp character and Hitler (particularly the mustache). Chaplin was also motivated by the escalating violence and repression of Jews by the Nazis throughout the late 1930s, the magnitude of which was conveyed to him personally by his European Jewish friends and fellow artists. It has been suggested that a 1934 Nazi propaganda leaflet mistakenly denouncing Chaplin as Jewish encouraged him to start the film project. ^{[citation needed]} Chaplin prepared the story throughout 1938 and 1939, and began filming in September 1939, one week after the beginning of World War II. By the time he finished filming almost 6 months later, France had fallen to the Nazis. The controversial final speech that ends the film was a late modification to the script, has been thought to have been motivated by the dire developments in Europe that occurred over the film's long production^{[citation needed]}. The 2001 BBC documentary on the making of the film, The Tramp and the Dictator claimed to have evidence (largely newly discovered footage of the film production shot by Chaplin's elder half-brother Sydney) that the ending was only changed due to technical difficulties.^[2]

The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Chaplin also received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor, and Oakie for Best Supporting Actor; the film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. The film was Chaplin's first true talking picture and helped shake off accusations of Luddism following his previous release (Modern Times) released in 1936 when the silent era had all but ended in the late 1920s.

Several similarities between Hitler and Chaplin have been noted and may have been a pivotal factor in Chaplin's decision to make The Great Dictator. Chaplin and Hitler had superficially similar looks, most famously their moustaches, and this similarity is most commented upon. (Tommy Handley wrote a song named "Who is This Man Who Looks like Charlie Chaplin?" ^[3]) Furthermore, the two men were born four days apart in April, 1889, and both grew up in relative poverty.

In addition, there were some rumors circulating that in the early days of Hitler's political career, he was aware of Charlie Chaplin's popularity in the motion picture business, and was told repeatedly that he shared physical traits with Charlie, therefore he grew the same famous square shaped mustache in order to boost his own popularity.^{[citation needed]}

The making of the film coincided with rising tensions throughout the world. Speculation grew that this and other anti-fascist films such as Mortal Storm and Four Sons would remain unreleased given the United States's neutral relationship with Germany. The project continued largely because Chaplin was financially and artistically independent of other studios; also, failure to release the film would have bankrupted Chaplin, who had invested $1.5m of his own money in the project. The film eventually opened in New York City in September, 1940, to a wider American audience in October and the United Kingdom in December. The film was released in France in April 1945, shortly after the liberation of Paris.

When interviewed about this film being on such a touchy subject, Charlie Chaplin had only this to say: "Half-way through making The Great Dictator I began receiving alarming messages from United Artists ... but I was determined to go ahead for Hitler must be laughed at." There are also accounts by Chaplin's associates that President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent his advisor Harry Hopkins to personally meet with Chaplin and encourage him to move ahead with the satirical film.^{[citation needed]}

Chaplin originally intended to call the film The Dictator, but received notice from Paramount Pictures that they would charge him $25,000 for use of the title—they owned the rights to an unrelated novel by Richard Harding Davis^{[citation needed]}. Chaplin balked at the conditions and inserted "Great" into the title. (In France the film is known as Le Dictateur.)

According to the The Tramp and the Dictator, the film was not only sent to Hitler, but an eyewitness confirmed he did see it.^[2] According to the Internet Movie Database, Chaplin, after being told Hitler saw the movie, replied: "I'd give anything to know what he thought of it."^[4]

The film was well received at the time of its release, and was popular with the American public. Critical opinion was mixed, with many reviewers critical of Chaplin's final speech, and some felt the slapstick portrayal of storm troopers was inappropriate (an opinion that magnified as the horrors of the Nazis were uncovered). But Jewish audiences were deeply moved by the portrayal of Jewish characters and their plight, which was still a taboo subject in Hollywood films of the time. It was shown in London during the Battle of Britain, and was reportedly a great morale booster. General Eisenhower personally requested French dubbed versions of the film from Chaplin for distribution in France after the Allied victory there.^{[citation needed]}

In his 1964 autobiography, following the uncovering of the extent of the Holocaust, Chaplin stated that he would not have been able to make such jokes about the Nazi regime had he known about the actual extent of the Nazi horrors. Indeed, it took over half a century before films were produced that took the artistic challenge to find any humour in that situation, such as Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful (1997). It is somewhat notable, regardless, that the film was produced approximately one year before the construction of the true death camps, such as Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.

[edit] See also

• Casablanca
• You Nazty Spy and I'll Never Heil Again, a pair of Three Stooges shorts with a similar subject matter, released around the same time as The Great Dictator.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Hoffmann, Frank W., William G. Bailey (1992). Mind & Society Fads. Haworth Press. ISBN 1560241780., p. 116: "Between world wars, Esperanto fared worse and, sadly, became embroiled in political power moves. Adolph Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf that the spread of Esperanto throughout Europe was a Jewish plot to break down national differences so that Jews could assume positions of authority.... After the Nazis' successful Blitzkrieg of Poland, the Warsaw Gestapo received orders to 'take care' of the Zamenhof family.... Zamenhof's son was shot... his two daughters were sent to the Treblinka death camp."
2. ^ ^{a b} The Tramp and the Dictator, official BBC web site
3. ^ "Who Is This Man" lyrics
4. ^ Trivia for The Great Dictator on IMDb

[edit] Additional references

1. Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image. Charles J. Maland. Princeton, 1989.
2. National Film Theatre/British Film Institute Notes on The Great Dictator.
3. The Tramp and the Dictator, directed by Kevin Brownlow 2001.
4. MoreThings "Charlie Chaplin's Heroic Failure"

[edit] External links

• 'Look up Hannah' Speech at End of Movie in Text, Audio and Video from AmericanRhetoric.com
• The Great Dictator at the Internet Movie Database
• Devil Ducky - Clip of the film's closing speech

The Films of Charlie Chaplin
The Mack Sennett Comedies: Kid Auto Races at Venice
The Chaplin-Mutual Comedies: The Floorwalker, The Fireman, The Vagabond, One A.M., The Count, The Pawnshop, Behind the Screen, The Rink, Easy Street, The Cure, The Immigrant, The Adventurer
Feature-length films: Tillie's Punctured Romance, The Kid, A Woman of Paris, The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, A King in New York, A Countess from Hong Kong
Other films: The New Janitor, Chaplin
Stock company: Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Albert Austin, Henry Bergman