My Review: The Great Dictator (9/10)

"I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible."

That final five minute speech given by Chaplin shows his true genius as a director, actor, and screenwriter. He was capable of understanding better than anyone the social realities he was part of and made one of the best anti-Nazi propaganda films I've seen. Giving his character who had been silent up to that film such an important speech was such a powerful and historical moment in film history. I don't know why I always believed Chaplin was one of those directors that never managed to handle the transition from silent films to talkies very well, because ironically this (his first complete talkie) is my favorite film of his. The way he was able to use his physical comedy with as little dialogue as possible and then add some funny lines was a beautiful touch. He said what he could with his physical performance and then used sound to say what actions couldn't tell wholeheartedly. Chaplin had proved that actions speak louder than words with his Tramp films, but when those words are in tune with actions they can blow you away and that is how I felt with The Great Dictator. In 1940 no one knew about the horrendous crimes the Nazi's were going to commit against the Jews, but Chaplin was warning the world from the beginning how hate and racism could destroy the world. That powerful speech continues to resonate with audiences almost 75 years later and you can add that scene to Chaplin's wonderful legacy in film. There are several other memorable scenes in this two hour film (the longest Chaplin film I've seen, yet probably the one I would be most likely to rewatch), mostly all involving Chaplin's wonderful physical comedy as he makes fun of Hitler. While the entire world seemed to be ignoring Hitler and Mussolini's abuse of power, Chaplin courageously was warning us in the best way he could, through slapstick comedy, about their horrendous racial beliefs and the dehumanization it would lead to. 

The film opens during the First World War where a soldier (Charles Chaplin) who is later introduced as a Jewish barber, is saving the life of a pilot named Schultz (Reginald Gardiner). They escape on a small plane, but eventually they crash and the barber loses his memory. Several years later he is released from the hospital but everything has changed. They lost the war, and Dictator Adenoid Hynke (also played by Charles Chaplin) is now rebuilding the country of Tomania. The Jews in the ghetto are being discriminated and treated poorly by Hynke's soldiers and the barber has no clue as to what is going on. A friendly neighbor named Hannah (Paulette Gardiner) helps him, but there is not much they can do against the soldiers. When he gets into trouble with some of them, the commanding officer arrives and it happens to be Schultz who immediately helps the barber and offers him and the people in his ghetto protection. For a while things look good for them, but when Dictator Hynke discovers Schultz is helping the Jews he sends for his arrest and the Jews suffer persecution once again. Hynke plans to rule the world so his first step is invading Osterlich, the place where Hannah and her family were forced to flee. Things aren't looking good for the Barber and his friends, but keeping his head up and joining forces with Schultz, they are ready to make a stand.

The Great Dictator was truly a delightful and joyous experience. I don't know why I liked it more than his silent films because I really enjoyed all of them, but there was something about The Great Dictator that just hit all the right notes with me. I fell in love with this film and will definitely recommend it as my favorite Chaplin film. I wasn't considering watching his next two talkies, but after the experience I had with The Great Dictator I'm definitely considering watching them. I loved the way Chaplin clearly stated his beliefs in this film, mocking Hitler and his inhumane ideas with a courageous performance considering no one was doing anything to stop him at that time. But it's not just a brave film, it is really funny as well and I found myself laughing throughout many scenes. His physical comedic talents can still be seen in this talkie; one of his most memorable scenes involves a globe dance sequence. Paulette Goddard, who was also in Chaplin's Modern Times, gives yet another sweet performance, and Jack Oakie will forever be remembered for his role as Napaloni, Dictator of Bacteria, which was a clear lampoon on Mussolini. This was one perfectly executed satire that happened to come along at the right moment. Unlike in other politically correct films, Chaplin makes it evident that ridiculing Hitler was his main objective. It is a classic and a must see for film lovers everywhere.

My Review: Modern Times (8/10)

"Buck up - never say die. We'll get along."

I can't think of a more fitting line than that final one from the Tramp to the Gamin to say farewell to silent films as they cheerfully walk towards the horizon. By 1936 everyone was watching talkies and they expected Modern Times to be Chaplin's first one considering his previous film, City Lights, had already incorporated some sound effects five years ago. Modern Times is considered one of Chaplin's finest movies and perhaps a lot of it has to do with the fact that it was his last silent film so it has the nostalgic factor going for it. The way Chaplin incorporates sound in Modern Times is pure genius because the only moments where we hear sound is when they come from mechanical devices, so in a way he blended the social critique of the Industrial age with his own critique of the use of sound in film. This mechanical monster that was taking over his industry was putting an end to the silent era which made him such a popular figure. Chaplin may have stated that his films aren't social critiques, but I don't think anyone managed to capture the human spirit during that era better than he did. During the first hour of this film which I earnestly enjoyed I couldn't quite understand why this film was considered superior to his other films which I enjoyed more. Up to that moment there wasn't really a scene that stood out for me like there had been in all his other features. Then suddenly when I was about to lose hope came the restaurant scene where the Tramp performs a song where we can't understand what he's saying, but through his gestures he makes himself perfectly understood. That was the scene that sold this movie for me and reminded me of Chaplin's genius. The ending in Modern Times is perhaps my favorite ending in all of Chaplin's films, although I still think I would rank City Lights as his best film. 

In his last silent film Charles Chaplin stars as the Tramp once again, and this time we find him working at an assembly line in a factory. The quick working pace and the mechanized movements he has to make slowly begin to affect him. He can't keep up with the pace in the assembly line and production is delayed because of him. During a lunch break he is chosen for experimentation with an automatic feeding machine that they want to sell to the president of the steel corporation. The machine goes haywire and the Tramp also begins to lose his sanity so he is sent to a mental hospital. Eventually he is released but after an unfortunate incident he is mistaken for a communist and imprisoned. In prison he becomes a hero by stopping several prisoners from breaking out of jail so he is released. Unemployed and unable to find a job all he wants is to go back to prison, but when he meets a Gamin (Paulette Goddard) and falls in love with her, he makes it his goal to find a job and buy a house where the two can live happily ever after, but in these modern times it won't be an easy task.

Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard have excellent chemistry together although the film is a little too sentimental at times. In Modern Times, Chaplin manages to once again balance pathos with slapstick, but I found some of the scenarios to be a little too similar to his other films so I felt it was getting a bit repetitive. However, what Chaplin does really well here is include the social elements of the time and use it to his advantage by focusing on the struggle the people had adapting to the modern industrial age. He does this by using satire through his brilliant physical comedy. In an era of dehumanization, Chaplin humanizes Modern Times with a sweet and tender story reminding everyone that the obstacles can be overcome. With every new problem that the Tramp has to face somehow he always finds a way to remain hopeful and rise to the occasion. That is perhaps why his comedies still remain timeless and continues to touch the hearts of those who encounter Chaplin for the first time. They will also understand that dialogue was not always necessary to tell a story, and the best to do so was Chaplin with his unique energy and brilliance.