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Charlie Chaplin

The Great Dictator

Original title: The Great Dictator
Based on Chaplin’s motion picture

Director

Diego de Brea

Opening night

11 May 2022

Main Stage

Duration:

115 minutes

Creators

Creative team

TRANSLATOR

Jure Škerl

Drama Igralec: Jure Škerl | odpri ustvarjalca

DRAMATURG AND LANGUAGE CONSULTANT

Arko

Drama Igralec: Arko | odpri ustvarjalca

SET DESIGNERS

Diego de Brea, Iztok Vadnjal

Drama Igralec: Diego de Brea, Iztok Vadnjal | odpri ustvarjalca

COSTUME DESIGNER

Blagoj Micevski

Drama Igralec: Blagoj Micevski | odpri ustvarjalca

COMPOSER*

Joži Šalej

Drama Igralec: Joži Šalej | odpri ustvarjalca

VIDEO DESIGNER

Sandi Skok

Drama Igralec: Sandi Skok | odpri ustvarjalca

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Metod Novak

Drama Igralec: Metod Novak | odpri ustvarjalca

*

Using motifs by Johannes Brahms and other composers

Drama Igralec: Using motifs by Johannes Brahms and other composers | odpri ustvarjalca

The Great Dictator is one of British filmmaker Charlie Chaplin’s most renowned films, written, directed, and produced by Chaplin in the United States before America entered World War II. Chaplin starred in both leading roles – as an anonymous Barber of Jewish descent and as Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomania – the spitting image of the Barber. In his first true sound film, Chaplin also spoke for the first time on screen, making use of the new technology in a particularly clever way by using a fake language for the dictator’s address to the crowd, a comically effective gibberish (albeit with some recognisable German and English expressions) which, because it was literally incomprehensible, made the crowd pay all their attention to Hynkel’s body language. When playing the Barber, Chaplin developed his signature role of the Tramp in an ingenious way: he did not merely engage in reproducing the familiar character, he developed him, making him relevant to the context, not just to technology,  utilizing some of his earlier traits yet turning him into a character who had to speak up in order to be heard.
In terms of genre, the film is a satirical comedy, aimed at mocking Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. In terms of content, Chaplin’s critique was so harsh that many countries refused to show the film in cinemas until they had gone to war with Germany. The film clearly parodies Mussolini, Goebbels and Göring, using hilarious names, as well as countries, phenomena, objects, etc. Although Chaplin was criticised after the war for making fun of such a serious subject (he said that he could not have made The Great Dictator if he had known about the actual horrors of German concentration camps), when watching the film one keeps forgetting when it was made, as it remains so accurate and prophetic.
Mojca Kranjc

THE GREAT DICTATOR Copyright © Roy Export S.A.S. All rights reserved.
Charlie Chaplin™ © Bubbles Incorporated SA 2022

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Schedule

Awards

2023

Best comedy, 31st Days of Comedy

Jurij Zrnec Gracious Actor Award at the 31st Days of Comedy

Festival

2023

31st Days of Comedy Dnevi komedije, Celje

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