There's no better time than now to watch 'The Great Dictator'

The tragedies of the past week or so have led to an influx of media of all sorts to help inspire people through the tough times. Heartrending letters pledging not to give into hate but rather cherish love, stories of bravery, and the circulation of this final speech from 'The Great Dictator':

I've posted the original version, sans the Hans Zimmer score many people have cleverly input into the scene. I really do like those cuts of the final speech but really I think Chaplin's direction, dialogue and acting in it really does speak for itself already. What I find incredible about this particular scene is how technically speaking, it's all rather out of character--up till this point, the Barber has been perhaps the most quiet, understated variation of his Little Tramp role--and yet still packs such a powerful punch. The whole build-up to this climactic speech is firstly, incredibly well done as Chaplin does not compromise the film's billing as a comedy, inserting quite a bit of humour with the Barber's clumsiness, and his friend Commander Schultz's gently exasperated reactions (Reginald Gardinier in a highly underrated 'straight man' performance as a great deal of humour in his scenes with Chaplin is derived by how straight-laced and confident he remains no matter how ridiculous the situation), to merge well with the tension. The speech itself is brilliant: one might call it on the nose, but I disagree. In fact I think it's some of the most personal, humanely moving pieces of cinematic literature I've ever heard uttered onscreen. The voiceless are given voice in the form of this humble little Barber who, separated from the love of his life, having endured the toils of a labour camp, and witnessed the atrocities of the anti-Semitic troops, finally finds strength to speak out not on behalf of himself, and not even just his beloved, or the Jewish race, but rather for the whole human race, espousing their capacity to love.

'We all want to help one another, human beings are like that'. I like to believe in that--and I still believe in it. Chaplin's belief in the innate potential in us to choose good over evil, gentles and kindness over hate, still resonates in me, and this speech, at the risk of sounding a bit cheesy, is one of those that just compels me to do the greater good. 'You are not machines'; we are all with autonomy, and that's crucial. We could just mindlessly walk into dooms of hate, but no, we shall not. We shall continue through dooms of love. I'm an idealist, yes. And Chaplin's contributed a great deal to that: even if the world's filled with horrible happenings and hate and intolerance, and kindness and love may not always prevail, it can always persist, and fight on for a better tomorrow.

It would've been very easy for the whole film to be purely centered around this final speech, and become just another propaganda piece, but Chaplin being Chaplin as both director and actor ensures that's never the case. In 'The Great Dictator' he so seamlessly blends together comedy and pathos, slapstick and social commentary, largely due to his terrifically differentiated performance as the titular dictator, Adolf Hynkel, a Hitler parody who is stupendously entertaining with his gibberish German, and immaculately 'imposing' but hilarious physical comedy; and his quietly moving depiction of a downtrodden barber who finds, loses love but in the end, gains the will the stand up in defiance of tyranny. It's terrific work that finds such differences between the two figures, and yet giving them both such distinctly Chaplin-esque flavours.

It's not a one-man show either: Jack Oakie is hilarious in a very broad parody of Mussolini who's really more buffoonish than intimidating (he and Chaplin's Hynkel vie for the most incompetent dictators of all-time), Maurice Moskovitch breathes such gentility into the role of a kindly neighbouring elder, and of course Paulette Goddard is fantastic as always as Hannah, Hynkel's love. In their comic scenes they have such fabulous chemistry of timing, such perfectly balanced reactions to the other's, and in their more dramatic scenes together they give such heft to the tough times they're going through. Her final reaction shot (which again I've ensured the clip above has concluded) works perfectly with Chaplin's speech to show hope for a brighter tomorrow, bringing a luminous end note much needed in those bleak days.

From Wikipedia. The chemistry between Goddard and Chaplin is, as always, fantastic.

Speaking of luminous notes, it's also a darned funny film: but what did you expect? To end on a high note, quite possibly one of the funniest movie scenes ever: