I think it would have been better if cut by about half an hour. There are some wonderful scenes, but it drags in parts. A very good film, but not in Chaplin's top 10.

Too harsh, Groucho!

It's definitely not Chaplin's most graceful film, but it's a funny, passionate, important picture from one of our great artists. Great sequences flow like water, particularly those involving the dictator himself. And what a time capsule!

its good but city lights is much better and some other stuff I saw in grade ten history class.

It is liking watching Vertigo, Psycho and Right Window and finally you watch North by Northwest and it was not as good as those three.

B+




It was my first try with a Chaplin film and I only ended up being slightly disappointed (but that is probably because of high expectations). Then I read that this is actually not considered one of Chaplin's very best works, so as far as that goes, I'm relieved.

I think the most striking about this movie is how much of a time capsule this is and how ingenious Chaplin must have been. Seriously, if I believed in something like clairvoyance, I'd be saying that this is a clear case of that. It's incredible how much of actual history Chaplin has forseen in this movie. The mass murder of the Jews, how huge the war will end up being. The "dancing with the globe"-scene is probably the most telling of all. It's too bad that Chaplin was apparently just one of the very few who saw what was about to come and could have been prevented. For that quality alone, The Great Dictator deserves a lot of kudos. I was literally amazed by some things that I saw in the film knowing that it was written in 1938/1939 with many years of terror still ahead.

It is also a pretty good satire, though not all of the stuff is as funny as it could have been. It is actually more of a message film than a funny one, I would say. Chaplin is good in his double-role, but especially excelling playing Hynkel. My major gripe with the film would probably be its unnecessary long running time. Sometimes the film seems a bit lost between its more grand message and just the usual Chaplin slapstick. As the film's highlight, though, stands Chaplin's final speech. Great writing there.

I agree it's a little... rough at moments, but similar to city lights, it just felt so complete at the end. The final five minutes have to be some of the best I've ever seen in a film. I really need to see some more of this chaplain fellow.