The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Collection: The Great Dictator (1940)

What was the realm of cinematic comedy like in 1940? Originally, comedies were limited greatly by the lack of sound before the late 1920s. The idea of physical comedy was the only version of cinematic comedy that audience got a chance to enjoy due to the limitations of the medium. The likes of Charles Chalpin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd delivered dozens of wild films full of crazy students, humorous and exaggerated actions, and plenty of big expressions from a character standpoint. Chaplin was really the main comedy creator to successfully make that leap between the three of them. Films like It Happened One Night launched a new subgenre, screwball comedy, which began to redefine cinematic comedy with its silly and farcical romantic situations. But Chaplin had a film in 1940 that would combine that classic slapstick comedy with this new sound era humor, The Great Dictator. 

How was Chaplin able to continue the comedic stylings that defined his career? Even though The Great Dictator is a fully sound film, there is plenty of space for slapstick comedy and other physical comedy. The expressions on Chaplin’s face throughout the film are still exaggerated (and hilarious) as he navigates so many peculiar and bonkers scenarios. The opening of World War I sequence is quite compelling as this took a serious situation like war and lampooned it impressively. The Great Dictator makes for a great companion piece to Duck Soap (from the Marx Brothers) as they both find the absurd symphony of violence that is war something to be lampooned. The giant yet limp cannon gag is good but more importantly, the upside-down plane gag is so impressive and quite hilarious. Chaplin still delivers a few moments of his “The Tramp” antics, especially his awkward, silly, and weird walk down the street after being hit over the head. There are plenty of foot chase sequences that Chaplin finds plenty of humor in. The most iconic physical gag must be the “Dancing with the Globe” scene. The tenderness, precision, and exaggerated expressions from Chaplin as the titular Hynkel is quite extraordinary. 

How does Chaplin leverage sound to broaden his comedic appeal? The most immediate example is the speech work that Chaplin gets to lean into as Hynkel. Hynkel’s speeches are certainly uncomfortable as Chaplin does a great job of capturing Adolf Hitler’s aggressive and fiery speech giving persona. Chaplin is certainly screaming a bunch of German words with plenty of vitriol. But what makes it so hilarious is that all the words are just random German words and expressions that he throws out there. You will probably catch a stray sauerkraut in there somewhere. Another performer who capitalizes on the sound is Jack Oakie as Mussolini…I mean Napaloni, the Dictator of Italy…I mean Bacteria! The absurd Italian accent is a comedic gem for the film and the overall expressions are just a blast. There are some biting and sharp barbs thrown around in the film that certainly make it so funny and biting in its commentary.

But what is the other reason why this film is so iconic and significant to the great cinematic perspective? This was a political film long before many filmmakers were doing anything like that. Movies were entertainment but Chaplin did not want this masterpiece to “just” be funny. The final speech from the barber/Tramp character, who unexpectedly replaces Dictator Hynkel, is some powerful stuff. To think, this came out a year before the United States entered World War II. There were still plenty of fascist Americans who wanted to side with Hitler. Chaplin was ostracized in America because of his “Communist” ideals shown in this speech. In the current rise of neo-American fascism, this speech about love and empathy hit so deeply. The powerful performance of Chaplin and his poignant words make this so powerful and meaningful. The things he confronts in the speech are reflective of the present Trump policies and administration (which are uncomfortably poignant at this moment in time). There are plenty of hilarious send ups of all types of dictatorial actions and fascist policies. Chaplin went all in on The Great Dictator, and it hastened the end of his career. But The Great Dictator shows the amount of passion, meaning, and humor in Chaplin’s creative expression and it opens the door for more films that can balance humor and meaning like Chaplin’s masterpiece.