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Grade
Content Grade:
A
Sound Grade:
C-
Picture Grade:
C
Specs
Directed and written by Charles Chaplin Image-MSRP-$29.95 Fullscreen Dolby Digital Mono Sound (center channel only) 125 minutes-Black and White-1940 Not Rated
Review
Chaplin's foray into talkies began with this controversial movie making fun of Adolf Hitler, something he regretted later on. A quote on this disc from his biography states he never would have made the film if he had known what atrocities Hitler was responsible for. This disc from Image is loaded with extras from the film and treated with respect by Image in its content. Image has released a number of the early Chaplin silent classics and are now tackling "The Tramp's" later releases before he was banned from America.
A Jewish barber is the spitting image of the Great Dictator, with both roles played by Chaplin. As the barber, Chaplin has the element of comedy with him and this element is played out in sketches that had been thought of twenty years earlier. The barber lives in the Jewish ghetto and through his customers meets the beautiful Hannah, played by Paulette Goddard. He soon learns of the underground resistance to the leader of the the nation, and eventually becomes involved in a plot to take his place and reverse his policies. The film's climax, also known as scene X, brings a powerful message to the audience. As the dictator, Chaplin skillfully makes fun of Hitler, using overemphasis of mannerisms and the classic globe balloon scene where the dictator, alone in his study, uses a globe in a carefully choreographed ballet.
Picture and Sound
Picture- This 1940 film has unfortunately suffered the fate of many old films of Hollywood and is need of restoration. Graininess, loss of contrast, and abrupt scene changes due to film breaks are seen throughout this feature. While at times, the film is crisp and the blacks are rich, at other times the film has faded and suffers from loss of clarity. This release does not really benefit from the additional resolution that DVD offers and was a big disappointment. Sound-Lousy-The disc also suffers from any fidelity that Dolby could offer-it is the only film I have ever viewed which was strictly one channel, center only. Even older films I have viewed at least had dual mono output. Somebody was asleep when mastering this one.
Extras
Chaplin fans will rejoice at the extras on this disc. It contains handwritten production notes, typewritten reports and revisions to the script, a newsreel of the real Adolf Hitler to give the film perspective, a budget breakdown of the films production, cast sheets, and an unused barber scene from 1918, which was inspiration for Chaplin in this film. Image went all out to include a lot of material to pack this disc.
Summary
While the film itself was well worn and suffers from age and deterioration, the extras almost make up for its poor condition. The story is bold and only Chaplin could get away with making fun of such a madman and still be popular. Film historians and fans of Chaplin will undoubtedly want this disc. Its a shame the film has not been preserved better.
