The Great Dictator (1940) (Blu-ray)

In his controversial masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of Adolf Hitler and a sly tweaking of his own comic persona. Chaplin, in his first pure talkie, brings his sublime physicality to two roles: the cruel yet clownish “Tomainian” dictator and the kindly Jewish barber who is mistaken for him. Featuring Jack Oakie and Paulette Goddard in stellar supporting turns, The Great Dictator, boldly going after the fascist leader before the U. S.’s official entry into World War II, is an audacious amalgam of politics and slapstick that culminates in Chaplin’s famously impassioned speech.

Special Features

New high-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
New audio commentary by Charlie Chaplin experts Dan Kamin and Hooman Mehran
The Tramp and the Dictator (2001), Kevin Brownlow and Michael Kloft’s documentary paralleling the lives of Chaplin and Hitler, including interviews with author Ray Bradbury, director Sidney Lumet, screenwriter Budd Schulberg, and others
Two new visual essays, one by Chaplin archivist Cecilia Cenciarelli and one by Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance
Color production footage shot by Chaplin’s half-brother Sydney
Barbershop sequence from Sydney Chaplin’s 1921 film King, Queen, Joker
Deleted barbershop sequence from Chaplin’s 1919 film Sunnyside
Rerelease trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Michael Wood, Chaplin’s 1940 New York Times defense of his movie, a reprint from critic Jean Narboni on the film’s final speech, and Al Hirschfeld’s original press book illustrations

Rezensionen

Lexikon des Int.​Films: "Chaplins erster Dialog-Film ist ein persönliches und politisches Bekenntnis.​ Der Film hat genialische, sehr komische und tief bewegende Züge.​"