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The Great Dictator

Decent Essays

As soon as The Great Dictator, directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1940, begins the audience is immediately brought back into World War I and then the following decades of international conflict and turmoil (Dir Chaplin 1940). However, the entire film is filled with twists and metaphors, as the film serves as a satire of Hitler’s regime. Chaplin even resembles Hitler, which not only provides the double-casting of the film but enables the message of the film, echoed in the concluding speech, to resonate with the audience even further. While I am sure viewers at the time perceived this film in an extremely different light, as the horrors of the Holocaust were not yet known, to me this film in a way served as a historical recap filled with parody and mockery. …show more content…

From the perspective of someone who knows about this history, these names are effectively funny and Chaplin’s perceptions of these characters definitely should not go over anyone’s heads. Even the Tomanian, or German-gibberish, language adds a layer into the film, creating a more authentic film for American viewers. However, the ending breaks away from what happened in history, enabling viewers to see the faults occurring at this time and even anticipate what is yet to come. In that sense, I found the film relatively predictable until the end because of course we all know what really happened in Europe at that time. This authenticity during a majority of the film was necessary in order for viewers understand the harsh realities and persecution going on in Europe, especially from Chaplin’s

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