[4.3]
Like CITY LIGHTS, I was incredibly impressed with the unconventionality of Chaplin’s work, the emotional impact of his mix of comedy and tragedy, and his powerful, poignant endings. The entire time that I watched this, I couldn’t believe that it was released in 1940, just as World War II was getting under way and before Pearl Harbor brought the USA into the conflict. If nothing else, this is a daring film. Chaplin uses his physical resemblance to Hitler to great advantage. He spews forth garbled German-esque words, mocking the language and the fervent speeches of the fuhrer (here, the “phooey”). And, Chaplin also takes on the role of the Jewish barber, who also bears a striking resemblance to Fuhrer Adenoid Hinkel. The opening fifteen minutes, featuring the barber in WWI, are typical Chaplin: a bullet from a tank falls innocently and with a ‘plop’ onto the ground, the barber gets lost in the fog and winds up on the enemies’ side, and (in one of my favorite scenes) the barber and another soldier escape in a plane that ends up flying upside down, unbeknown to either of them. Chaplin nonchalantly comments “oh, gravity doesn’t work up here” as his pocket watch floats in the air (Chaplin filmed these scenes upside down for maximum comedic value). A simple gag where the officer attempts to drink water and it flies up past his mouth made me smile with delight! Like usual, Chaplin packs his film full of story, and here, his gift for dialogue is revealed to be nearly as strong as his gift for pantomime (this was his first ‘talkie’). I didn’t love Chaplin’s voice, especially considering that he didn’t seem to differentiate between Hinkel’s voice and the barber’s voice, but that was the only major fault of this masterpiece. Much of the humor is broad (pratfalls, hits on the head with a frying pan, etc), but Chaplin makes good use of specific people for many jokes, such as the names of the various characters, including Garbitsch (pronounced “Garbage”) and Benzini Napolini, ruler of Bacteria (a hilarious caricature of Italians, specifically Mussolini). Paulette Goddard makes her Jewish woman a strong, resilient, admirable character, and the supporting cast likewise turn in good performances. Not only is Chaplin a great actor, but his directing is top notch. The scene in which Hinkel dances around with a balloon Globe, set to Wagner music, is remarkable in its silly humor and potent political message. The film makes no excuses for Hitler/Hinkel, juxtaposing the ruler’s ridiculous posturing with the horrible effects of his Jewish policy, showing sad scenes of the nicest Jewish family being harassed and abused by Storm troopers. Not the normal sort of stuff for a “comedy.” At the end, the barber is conveniently confused for Hinkel and gets set up to make a speech. These last five minutes, containing the barber’s (or, more accurately, Chaplin’s) impassioned plea for peace and condemnation of dictators and the enslavement of mankind, are incredible. Chaplin’s delivery is perfect and his words ring so true, its impossible to look away. This is a triumph of filmmaking and political comedy.
burning retina 