Charles Chaplin plays both a Jewish barber and dictator Adenoid Hynkel in this satirical classic about Nazi Germany. Watch Chaplin mock Hitler and Mussolini in LAB111 Amsterdam, in the first film in which he speaks himself.
A satirical classic about a dark time
In The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin plays two roles simultaneously: a poor Jewish barber from a ghetto and dictator Adenoid Hynkel, modeled after Adolf Hitler. The film is a satire on Nazi Germany and was released in 1940, shortly after the outbreak of World War II. Other recognizable figures include Minister Garbitsch (a parody of Goebbels) and rival dictator Benzino Napaloni, based on Mussolini.
Special: Chaplin speaks for the first time
The Great Dictator is the first film in which Chaplin speaks himself. In addition to the lead roles, Chaplin also handled the direction, production, and music. He had been working on the script since the late 1930s. In the United States, the reception was initially critical: the government at the time spoke of an attack on 'a head of state of a friendly country'.
Timeless and still relevant
Decades later, The Great Dictator is regarded as one of the most daring political films in film history. The film shows how humor and satire can expose powerful figures. You see how Chaplin uses lighthearted means to make something heavy open for discussion. The film is screening at LAB111 in Amsterdam, a cinema with a distinctive program focused on extraordinary films.
