Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Natey & Katy are two friends who love movies and love talking about them. Join them on their cinematic journey!
Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Speechless Laughter: A Review of "The Great Dictator"
Charlie Chaplin dared to do what many thought impossible: mock a dictator during the rise of fascism and create a film that would echo through generations. Join us on Natey and Katy: At the Movies as we dissect "The Great Dictator," a cinematic masterpiece that was as brave as it was brilliant. You'll hear about the historical context that shaped Chaplin's vision and how his bold satire of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime led to the film being banned in Nazi-occupied territories. We take a closer look at his transition from silent films to the era of sound, discussing how Chaplin masterfully balanced humor with profound themes, ensuring his legacy would inspire even the youngest of audiences.
Katy and I also share our deep admiration for Chaplin's unwavering commitment to his anti-totalitarian message, reflected in our ratings: Katie awards a near-perfect 5.75 out of six stars, while I give it a full six stars. The film's resonance with modern audiences cannot be overstated, highlighting an enduring message of unity and the courage to stand against tyranny. As we reflect on the irony of Chaplin's own life, accused of communism and spending his later years in Switzerland, we encourage listeners to think critically and vote responsibly, especially with our episode landing a week before Election Day. Stick around to catch a teaser for our next episode on Disney's "WALL-E" and hear a moving excerpt from Chaplin's iconic speech, urging us all to embrace humanity and unity.
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new episode of Nady and Katie at the Movies. I'm your host, nathan aka Nady, of course, and with me on today's episode is my good friend Katie. Hi Katie, how are you? Did you just eat something with sauerkraut and you didn't agree with you, or something?
Speaker 1:that was my best impression of charlie chapman's best impression of adolf hitler well, first of all, you called him charlie chapman and his name's charlie chaplin, and that is related to what we're talking about today. Let's talk about our movie, the great dictator. But before we can talk about our likes and dislikes, I have to go over the synopsis. Dictator Adonai Heinkel tries to expand his empire, while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Heinkel's regime. The Great Dictator stars Charlie Chaplin, paulette Goddard, jack Oakey and Reginald Gardner, and this movie was directed, written and basically funded by Charlie Chaplin. I guess you can consider this a passion project of his, and it was so popular with everybody that Adolf Hitler banned it in Germany and all Nazi areas, not surprising.
Speaker 2:No, not surprising at all, so it's also important to note folks that, um, now we already watched a movie that was similar to this, but to be or not to be. It was a movie poking fun. Similar to this, the To Be or Not To Be. It was a movie poking fun at Nazis and Hitler that came out when he's literally still alive and being himself and terrible and evil. So this movie actually predates that one. I think, from what I remember reading, they started filming this right about when World War II started, so not when we entered the war. We entered the war in 41 um little history fact there but in 39 is when world war ii starts. So, gosh, this is like right on the front end of it. Um, I did read some stuff too, that even even parts of the movie were changed because, as they're filming, of course the war is happening yeah, it's pretty impressive that he had the guts to do this.
Speaker 1:And, of course, there are people around him telling him what a big risk it was, how much money he was going to lose making this film. He didn't care, he wanted this message to be put out there and he had a story to tell and he wanted to tell it. And it was extremely impressive because Charlie Chaplin obviously was known for silent films. This is his very first all talking, all sound film and this movie makes a point. It makes a point. So, katie, let's just get right into it. What were things that you liked about the Great Dictator?
Speaker 2:First of all, I also have to make sure you know there's another movie called the Dictator. Not that one, this is the Great Dictator and man. I also have to make sure you know there's another movie called the Dictator. Not that one, this is the Great Dictator and man. I really loved it. In fact this is kind of crazy, but I was watching it and my three-year-old was coming by and it reminds me back to when we watched his other film, the silent film the Kid.
Speaker 2:My three-year-old was laughing at parts because the silly scene with like an airplane and they're upside down, uh, he didn't quite understand why the water was going the wrong direction, but he was giggling and he kept asking me he goes, can we watch that war movie now? I'm glad we didn't watch the whole thing together, obviously, but there's still all that same slapstick humor that I really enjoyed from the kid. But I don't know. This is what makes this man brilliant. How in the world was he able to splice no-transcript? Somehow he blended them both. I think if he had done a little bit too much one way or the other, it would have either been a big womp film and sad and depressing, or it would have been taking it too lightly. I really, really appreciate that. So the humor all hit for me, as well as the more emotional scenes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he did a really good job of balancing the humor and the seriousness, just like with the kid. I think he did a brilliant job with that as well. This one was a lot more subdued. I think there wasn't a lot of over the topness. Like we mentioned when we reviewed the kid, that because it was a silent film, they kind of had to do that with the facial expressions and all that kind of stuff. They didn't really need to do that in this.
Speaker 1:But I did appreciate the fact that he didn't forget where he came from, with a lot of the slapstick fighting and, you said, the airplane scene which was, which was really really funny, really really good. And of course, this movie does kind of like the Prince and the popper, but kind of the dictator and the popper. They switch places towards the end, which I thought happened sooner. I had never seen this movie all the way through. All I knew of it really was the iconic speech that he does at the end of the movie and to really bring the people together, and so I didn't know how soon the switch happened.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean, charlie Chaplin just again solidifies what a brilliant actor and not just actor but writer and director he was because he had his hand in everything, kind of like the opposite of Orson Welles with Citizen Kane, which Katie and I both did not like and he had he Orson Welles had his hand all in that movie as well. But with this film you could tell that Charlie Chaplin, this was a passion of his and he did not care what people thought of what he was doing and it ended up being a really big hit for him. It did really well in the box office. People really went to the theaters to go see it.
Speaker 2:I think it's amazing that he touched on so many things that I know from studying history with Nazis but made fun of him like I can't even list all of them but he would. Everyone's names were spoofs off of. You know, like his name, adenoid, um, I think tomtomania he had um garbage was his henchman kind of his name. The propaganda guy, which is actually gobles, is the real guy's name. So they incorporated tons of real life people you know spoofs and again I'd be like what a risky move to just be poking fun at all these guys. But I really really appreciated.
Speaker 2:You know, your villain sort of in the movies to me was gobles. You know he was the propaganda guy and he's trying to get almost. You know the film portrays adolf hitler or the name whatever adenoid as being basically a dunce and it didn't connect to me until after I reflected later. If you think about this, the only difference between Adanoid and, you know, the Jewish barber which is our, the Charlie Chaplin's you know more character than himself, is that they have different goals and one's viewed as a dictator but like those actual mannerisms that like they're both sort of doofuses and they trip and they fall and they're awkward and they don't know how to talk, so it does kind of show that people only have power when we give it to them I think the barber I mean I see what you're saying that they have a lot of similarities, which is kind of why the reason why they did what they did and near the end of the movie.
Speaker 1:But I think obviously the barber was more willing to stand up against the tyranny that was being pushed upon him and all the people in his town because he even, you know, confronts the soldiers when they're trying to come in and you know, take everyone down. And you know, confronts the soldiers when they're trying to come in and you know, take everyone down. And you know, by by sure luck, the person that he saves at the beginning of the movie is actually working with this dictator guy and he becomes friends with him and that's kind of how the ending of the movie happens the way it does. But all that to say, I didn't really see anything I did not like about this movie. I thought it was just your quintessential Charlie Chapman brilliant film telling a message that needed to be told at the time and some people might say it kind of needs to be watched today. Who knows.
Speaker 2:And going back to the point of it really shows how you know the one, maybe unassuming, can grow and become a leader by being kind and can gain following by being kind. But then I don't know what a doofus you you really look like when your whole goal is control and your goal is evil-minded. Um, and just I don't know he he did an incredible job making adenoid hitler basically look like a complete dunce.
Speaker 1:Um, he was essentially a pawn of the propaganda which I think is, which I think is funny, because obviously this inspired Mel Brooks to do his movie, then musical the producers, which is all about these guys trying to make a big flop on Broadway, and so they pick a show called a springtime for Hitler, where this actor plays Hitler and he plays him as this doofus, like you said.
Speaker 1:But it ends up being a Broadway hit because it's making fun of Hitler, and so that's basically what this movie is. It's it's a lot of people around Charlie Chaplin were saying man, this movie is going to flop, you're going to lose all this money. And he's like you know what? I'm going to do it anyway because, again, it was important, important to him. And then it ended up being a box office hit because people wanted to see hitler being made fun of, and obviously hitler did not want anyone to see him being made fun of, which is why he banned it throughout all germany and all all the other places that he had been slowly taking over and even, um, even the guy, so mussolini, that um, which is the real person in it at the time World War II, who gangs up with Hitler.
Speaker 2:I mean even that is sort of fun. I mean it's so spot on. You can go look up a picture of Mussolini and even just his mannerisms and what he's like and it's totally what. I can't even remember the character's name they give him, but it is hilarious watching these sort of dictators have a power move. There's this whole bit where they're kind of going back and forth, try to power move each other.
Speaker 2:So if I had to give a negative Nathan, I would say maybe some of the bits I think they were important to include, I suppose to break up any seriousness. But some of the bits kind of go on for a while. There's a bit where he's doing this whole shaving scene. He's got like a love interest and he's like shaving her face and there's a whole scene where he's shaving this other guy's head and he's shaving to the beat of the music. And then there's scenes where they're like playing with barber's chairs going up and down.
Speaker 2:So again, some of the comedy bits to me just like went on a little long. I mean my one critique. It's a pretty long movie, especially for one that came out in that era, and I do feel like, if I was, I was in such a comedy mood that it did actually strike me to have such a serious ending. It just ends like a silly, silly, silly the whole time and then the last five minutes is just straight very serious. Stare at the camera, intense speech. Basically I would argue he's speaking to Hitler or anyone that likes Hitler, like this was probably a breaking of the third wall. He's giving a speech to America and everyone in the world. And a breaking of the third wall. He's giving a speech to america and everyone in the world. And then it ends with this long, long scene of his girl, like, staring off in the distance.
Speaker 1:like I don't mind if you end serious but it almost ended long and serious to me and it lost that like I didn't feel like it was packing the punch that he maybe felt it was I think I think it was leading up to the seriousness and I mean, like we said before, this movie did a really good job of balancing the humor and the seriousness and as the movie went on, it started to get more and more heavy and I mean, I thought it fit. And again, it could just be the fact that I knew how iconic that speech moment was and how important it was at that time. And obviously, yes, he, he was speaking to the Nazi people probably in general, not just Hitler. Like we, we don't have to hurt each other. We can use our power and everything that we have to help each other, cause that's what we should be doing. So I I thought it was brilliant.
Speaker 1:I thought this movie was again the quintessential charlie chaplin, quintessential classic film. So let's just go ahead and rate this thing the great dictator. What would you give it, katie?
Speaker 2:I out of six stars. The great dictator I. I was very entertained and I think it was on point. So this feels crazy for me to give a six to such a classic movie, because it's not always my style, but it deserves it. I don't have a ton of negatives. Maybe a 5.75. Does that count?
Speaker 1:Well, I mean I'm giving it a six because I mean, like we said it's, it's a movie that you tell was a passion project for charlie chaplin. He didn't care what people thought he was going to get this movie done. He got it done and it became a big hit for him yeah, well, nathan the point.
Speaker 2:I think the difference between his passion project and jennifer lopez's passion project on amazon prime is that there's different motives. This passion project, I think he was passionate about sending a message to the world and I think that's what when you make your movies, for that reason, not just maybe for selfish, or I want to make my own biography, but yeah, I think it hits better Ironic. Last thing to add did you think about? Remember we realized last time that we talked about how he got kicked out of america, like charlie chapman spent the rest of his life in switzerland?
Speaker 2:chaplain, his name is chaplain, that's what I said. Um, anyway, for being a communist, for being accused of being a communist, like it is quite ironic that he is poking fun at and speaking so negatively of dictators and communism and Nazism and all that stuff and then he ends up either maybe changing his thoughts later in life or just being accused of it. So it's kind of ironic.
Speaker 1:Well, there you have it, folks. This is our last episode of October. Happy anniversary to my wife, happy eight years of love and joy and happiness. And next week is when you should go and vote oh yes, so mine watch this movie before you vote I mean, ironically, this movie, this episode, is being released the week before election day. This was not planned, folks. I did not plan this. It just so happened to be a movie about a dictator, and some people think certain people are dictators yes, but do not, do not let.
Speaker 2:We are not endorsing any candidates, but we do both agree. Please go out and vote, be an educated voter, be a voter and, of course, like and subscribe.
Speaker 1:Policies over personalities. And speaking of personalities, our first episode of November 5th is all about a small guy with a big personality. Here's a clip of what we're going to be talking about next week Yo-ho.
Speaker 2:Wally Uh Mary Eva.
Speaker 1:Huh, talking about next week shade I didn't know.
Speaker 1:We had a pool we're taking on Disney's Wally, so you can check that out. November 5th, election Day on Nadie and Katie at the Movies. So I'm going to end us with a quote from the great dictator. I'm not going to say the whole thing because this is a really long speech, but I do want to say some of what he says. So here we go. I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. It's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible. Jew, gentile, black, man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each.
