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The Great Dictator streaming

1940 Movie United States War, Drama, Comedy 120 min Ages 0+
By: Charlie Chaplin, Charles Chaplin With: Carter DeHaven, Nellie V. Nichols, Bert Moorhouse, Richard Alexander, William Arnold

20 years after the end of WWI, in which the nation of Tomainia was on the losing side, Adenoid Hynkel has risen to power as the ruthless dictator of the country. He believes in a pure Aryan state and the decimation of the Jews. This situation is unknown to a simple Jewish Tomainian barber who has been hospitalized since a WWI battle. Upon his release the barber, who had been suffering from memory loss about the war, is shown the new persecuted life of the Jews by many living in the Jewish ghetto, including a washerwoman named Hannah with whom he begins a relationship. The barber is ultimately spared such persecution by Commander Schultz, whom he saved in that WWI battle. The lives of all Jews in Tomainia are eventually spared with a policy shift by Hynkel himself, who is doing so for ulterior motives. But those motives include a desire for world domination, starting with the invasion of neighboring Osterlich, which may be threatened by Benzino Napaloni, the dictator of neighboring Bacteria. Ultimately Schultz, who has turned traitor against Hynkel's regime, and the barber may be able to join forces to take control of the situation, using Schultz's inside knowledge of the regime's workings and the barber's uncanny resemblance to one of those in power.

Filmium rating
92%

Mood

Humorous
Inspiring
Satirical
Serious
Thoughtful

Cast & Crew

Charles Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Cyril Ring
Emma Dunn
Jack Oakie
Eddie Hart
Ethelreda Leopold
Reginald Gardiner
Don Brodie
Manuel París
Maurice Moscovitch
Leyland Hodgson
Eddie Dunn
Bernard Gorcey
Billy Gilbert
Joe Bordeaux
Bert Moorhouse
Nellie V. Nichols
Charles Sullivan
Sam Harris
Lew Davis
Rudolph Anders
William Arnold
Bud Geary
Esther Michelson
Lucien Prival
Eddie Gribbon
John Davidson
Chester Conklin
William Irving
Charles Irwin
Henry Roquemore
Sig Arno
Leonard Walker
George Lynn
Gino Corrado
Tiny Sandford
Hans Conried
Harry Wilson
Jack Perrin
Richard Alexander
Wheeler Dryden
Carter DeHaven
Florence Wright
Fred Aldrich
Nita Pike
Torben Meyer
Hans Schumm
Francesca Santoro
Grace Hayle
Carl Voss
Henry Daniell
Paul Weigel
Paulette Goddard
Harry Semels
Pat Flaherty
Max Davidson
Francis Ernest Drake
Leo White
Hank Mann

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Physical Comedy
Satirical Caricature
Silent Film Influence
Sound Film
Visual Comedy
Visual Gags

Film Movements

Early Sound Cinema
Silent Film Tradition

Narrative Structure

Character-Driven
Linear
Mistaken Identity
Satirical Monologue
Satirical Narrative

Pace

Balanced
Dynamic
Moderate
Rhythmic

Runtime

Long

Soundtrack

Classical Music
Original Score
Wagner

Style

Black Comedy
Cinematic
Political Satire
Sound Film

Time-Period

1930S
World War Ii Era

Central Conflict

Dictator'S Expansion
Mistaken Identity
Oppression
Persecution
Personal Identity
Tyranny Vs. Freedom

Characters

Dictator
Hannah
Jewish Barber
Soldier

Ending

Hopeful
Impassioned Speech
Peace

Historical Context

Fascism
Holocaust
World War Ii

Key Plot Points

Barber'S Speech
Hynkel'S Rise
Mistaken Identity

Plot

Anti-Fascism
Anti-War
Dictatorship
Identity Crisis
Mistaken Identity
Resistance

Setting

Dictatorship
Easterly
Ghetto
Tomainia
Western Front

Shooting Location

Los Angeles
Studio Sets

Theme

Anti-Fascism
Freedom
Hope
Humanism
Humanity

Genre

Comedy
Drama
Satire

Audiences

Adults
Film Lovers
General
Political Enthusiasts
Teens

Titles

The Great Dictator

Awards

Academy Award Nominations
Best Actor
Best Original Screenplay

Box Office Success

Commercial Success
Popular

Critical Reception

Critically Acclaimed
High Praise

Popularity

Beloved
Classic

Ratings

92% Rotten Tomatoes

Reception

Award-Nominated
Commercial Success
Critically Acclaimed
Culturally Significant
Historically Significant

Production Countries

United States

Release Year

Nineteen Forty
mowizz ID: 5670f831-b4f6-432b-b7c7-3701436ba002
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