The Great Dictator

It is truly astonishing and shocking that this film was made in 1940. Before Pearl Harbor and before the we all learned just what kind of evil Hitler was unleashing on the world. Chaplin was an absolute genius. Not my favourite person, nor even my favourite filmmaker, but this beautiful film never ceases to amaze me with its honesty, its warmth, its hope and of course, its humour. Because my God, this is one hilarious damn picture. The names! Oh my goodness, the names are the funniest bit, in my opinion. The Fuhrer is the Phooey, Adolf Hitler is Adenoid Hynkel, Hermann Göring is Herring, Mussolini is Benzino Napaloni the Dictator of Bacteria (Bacteria!! Love it!), but the best one by far is Goebbels - Garbitsch. I cry everytime I hear the name. It is that hilarious.

(photo kidnapped from oscarbrigade)