The ‘Great Dictator’ is a film that was presented to audiences in 1940, after a painstakingly long process of directing and revising. The film appeared to initiate a fight against world's number one dictator- Hitler. Through the movie, Chaplin is seen repeating Shoulder Arms experiences with a personal commitment. The manner in which the movie depicts the present struggle to uphold peace is enough reason for any lover of history to watch it unfold despite the announcement by Chaplin stating that “Any resemblance between Hynkel the Dictator and the Jewish barber is purely coincidental” (Brody, 2018). This warning was presented as a light way of pointing out that the existing tension between Chaplin and Tramp- his twin- was the main issue at stake and not Chaplin's double role. So far, Chaplin's twin had successfully presented the world's understanding using the language of drama and considering that he did not associate himself with any ethnic, national, racial, and religious identity, he impacted on spectators all over the world.
The great dictator is full of the wonderfully overstated and intense depiction of Adolf Hitler who is mostly seen speaking forthright German. However, the talks by Henkel are mostly humorous. The sound motion used in the film presents a unique association between Chaplin and Hitler. Chaplin’s habits in the film can be termed both hyperbolic and outlandish, therefore, bringing a chilling impact on audiences (Delage, 2005) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Presenting the first opportunities for audiences to hear Tramp's voice, the movie also presents Hynkel's voice in an irrational and terrifying state. Viewers are then treated to a comic unleash when they see Chaplin and Hynkel walking down the street in their rough gestures. As it comes to an end, the Great Dictator reclaims its powers as Chaplin's speech paves way for a solemn epilogue. During the speech, Chaplin is heard declaring that “the misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed — the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress” ( Brody, 2018) . In my view, the Great Dictator is a good film that unifies Chaplin’s signature political sarcasm and physical comedy. The result is a genuinely hilarious movie that speaks a lot about important political and social interactions that to some degree influenced the contemporary society. The speech at the end of the movie can only be termed motivational and enduring, representing one of the best sequences in the movie. Chaplin’s movie is also dominated by professionally developed characters that are surprisingly three-dimensional. The movies cinematography and editing techniques are outstanding and successfully works to bring a gentle flow of the movie. Most outstanding is the humanization of the antagonist who Chaplin meant to represent Adolf Hitler (Ebiri, 2014) .
Analyzing the role of Chaplin
In the ‘Great Dictator’, directed by Charlie Chaplin, he plays the role of adenoid Heineken who leads the Numi party and is also a tyrant based in Germany. Chaplin also plays the role of a Jewish barber in addition to portraying Hynkel as an Adolf Hitler's imitation. After the admission of the Jewish barber in hospital for suffering amnesia, Hynkel also rises to power as the leader of the national mini-socialist party. Playing both roles perfectly and comically, Chaplin successfully sets up a dictatorship state that robs citizens from particular ethnic, religious, and political affiliations off their rights-especially the Jews (Ebiri, 2014) . As the dictator (Hynkel), Chaplin simultaneously makes the Nami party a flag and an anthem for Tomania. Furthemore, Hynkel invades the osterlich nation, while at the same time his Jewish barber character escapes the concentration camp in a uniform, taking advantage of his resemblance to the dictator. In a funny twist of events, the barber unaware of his current situation ends up replacing the dictator and gives a speech that demonstrated his love for democracy, equality, and the upholding of human rights. It is his speech that makes people suspicious of whether he is the real dictator considering that he was mostly an irritable man who demonstrated violent actions. The film depicted Hynkel as a skeptical and pessimistic character, therefore, making his Jewish barber character come out more influential. Overall, the excellent skills and prowess in film directing are enhanced further by Chaplin’s ability to double play the roles of two completely different characters perfectly (Delage, 2005) .
My C riteria for Quality in Film
In my opinion, a quality movie must have entertaining characters and plots, with an ability to influence the audiences’ emotions.
Quality films must have unexpected and blissful endings that successfully maintains the suspense.
Quality film must incorporate well-developed characters, music, cinematic effects, and voices that will enhance the audiences’ experiences. For instance, the music and other sounds used in the movie must give room for the characters’ voices to be heard.
A quality film should incorporate the director as a character as a way of getting the perfect role.
A quality film must appropriately use color to stimulate viewers. Films shot in black and white may lack the beauty, therefore failing to catch viewers’ attention.
Conclusion
In my view, the Great Dictator is an excellent movie as it fulfills the qualities above. For instance, in addition to directing the film, Chaplin also plays the role of a Jewish barber and that of Dictator Hynkel. The film successfully treats audiences to well-developed characters who manage to perfectly bring out Hynkel’s political sarcasm and suspense. However, just like most 1940 classics, the film is produced in black and white therefore reducing the visual beauty.
References
Brody, R. (2018). 'The Great Dictator? In Black and White. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-great-dictator-in-black-and-white
Delage, C. (2005). Charlie Chaplin: Filming The Great Dictator. Retrieved from https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/films/2-The-Gold-Rush/articles/13-Filming-The-Great-Dictator
Ebiri, B. (2014). The Interview Has Renewed Interest in Chaplin's The Great Dictator, Which Is a Great Thing. Retrieved from http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/charlie-chaplin-great-dictator-history.html
