Written, produced, directed, and starring one of the most influential stars of a generation, Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator is a true masterpiece that makes fun of Hitler and Mussolini.

A Jewish Barber (Charlie Chaplin) saves the life of a dispatcher named Schultz (Reginald Gardiner) at the end World War 1, but in the process, suffers amnesia. Whilst he is hospitalized, a dictator named Adenoid Hynkel (also Chaplin) has risen to power in the fictional country of Tomainia and plans on wiping out the Jews and conquering the neighboring free country Osterlich.

The Barber leaves the hospital and soon finds his country a very different place. He opens his barber shop and begins to fall in love with a local girl named Hannah (Paulette Goddard). Schultz, the man that saved his life, becomes a rebel and hides with the barber. Meanwhile, Hynkel is still bent on conquering Osterlichm, but the dictator Napoloni (Jack Oakie) of Bacteria also wants the country.

Soon, the barber and Schultz are captured and placed in a concentration camp, and Hynkel gets the upper hand on Napoloni and prepares to strike.

I will not give away the ending, but I promise it is one of the most masterfully crafted endings that will have your jaw dropped to the ground.

The movie makes light of Hitler in the form of Hynkel and shows his aggression as nothing more than man who is jealous, angry, and pitiful, but the humble Jewish Barber is kind and courteous, ready to help his fellow man.

Over the years, the film has been the subject to much scrutiny and much praise. Those in the former, they tried to run Chaplin out of town because they thought it was an indictment of America, even though it was an obvious attack on Nazism. I am of the opinion that this is a powerful and moving. I believe it was worthy of its praise and even to be placed in the Criterion Collection.

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Some violence

FAVORITE QUOTE: Look up.

Check out the trailer below:

That is my review. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below and tell me if there’s a movie you’d like me to review. Check out my thoughts on Safe Haven. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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