Great Dictator (1940) Blu-ray

Charlie Chaplin’s World War II–era classic, a seminal satire condemning dictatorship and antisemitism

In his controversial masterpiece The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin offers both a cutting caricature of war time Germany leader 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 authoritarian 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 Edition Features

Audio commentary by Chaplin experts Dan Kamin and Hooman Mehran

Visual essays by archivist Cecilia Cenciarelli and biographer Jeffrey Vance

Documentary featuring interviews with author Ray Bradbury and director Sidney Lumet

Color production footage

And more