The Great Dictator poster

The Great Dictator

1940125 minutesG
5.6
Arcplot Score
📝 Unconventional
Unverified
⭐ 8.4IMDb
🍅 92%Rotten Tomatoes
🎬 8.3TMDb
📊 4.2Popularity
🏆Nominated for 5 Oscars. 7 wins & 6 nominations total
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
20 years after the end of WWI, in which the nation of Tomainia was on the losing side, Adenoid Hynkel has risen to power as the ruthless dictator of the country. He believes in a pure Aryan state and the decimation of the Jews. This situation is unknown to a simple Jewish Tomainian barber who has been hospitalized since a WWI battle. Upon his release the barber, who had been suffering from memory loss about the war, is shown the new persecuted life of the Jews by many living in the Jewish ghetto, including a washerwoman named Hannah with whom he begins a relationship. The barber is ultimately spared such persecution by Commander Schultz, whom he saved in that WWI battle. The lives of all Jews in Tomainia are eventually spared with a policy shift by Hynkel himself, who is doing so for ulterior motives. But those motives include a desire for world domination, starting with the invasion of neighboring Osterlich, which may be threatened by Benzino Napaloni, the dictator of neighboring Bacteria. Ultimately Schultz, who has turned traitor against Hynkel's regime, and the barber may be able to join forces to take control of the situation, using Schultz's inside knowledge of the regime's workings and the barber's uncanny resemblance to one of those in power.

Box Office

Budget:$2.0M
Revenue:$11.0M
Profit:$9.0M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision4.4/10
Emotional Arc Impact5.5/10
Thematic Consistency7/10
Overall Score5.6/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

The Great Dictator Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
5 min
3
Set-Up
12 min
4
Catalyst
28 min
5
Debate
40 min
6
Break Into Two
50 min
7
B Story
60 min
8
Fun and Games
75 min
9
Midpoint
90 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
105 min
11
All Is Lost
115 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
118 min
13
Break Into Three
120 min
14
Finale
123 min
15
Final Image
125 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

A bustling city under military rule. The Jewish Barber working quietly in his barber shop. Political tension established, comedic tone set.

#2

Theme Stated

5 min

Theme of tyranny vs. humanity, courage, and satire of dictatorship hinted. Barber represents ordinary person's morality.

#3

Set-Up

12 min

Barber's life introduced. Jewish community interactions, love interest Hannah, daily struggles. Meanwhile, Adenoid Hynkel rules oppressively. World context clear.

#4

Catalyst

28 min

Hynkel tightens control. Jewish Barber accidentally becomes involved in political conflict. Personal stakes intersect with political stakes.

#5

Debate

40 min

Barber struggles to remain safe, maintain love and kindness. Hynkel's actions escalate. Questions of courage vs. self-preservation dominate.

#6

Break Into Two

50 min

Barber is mistaken for Hynkel after accident. Enters world of political power and danger. Comedy and tension intertwined.

#7

B Story

60 min

Barber interacts with political figures, sees injustice firsthand. Love story with Hannah continues. Moral compass highlighted.

#8

Fun and Games

75 min

Comedic sequences: Barber impersonates Hynkel, dances with globe, satirical antics. Both laughs and commentary on authoritarianism.

#9

Midpoint

90 min

Barber fully mistaken for dictator. Lives in palace, experiences power and fear. Stakes rise dramatically: mistaken identity could mean death.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

105 min

Hynkel's regime hunts real Barber. Political enemies and soldiers close in. Tension and danger escalate.

#11

All Is Lost

115 min

Barber captured, or at risk of execution. False defeat: comedy and tragedy merge. Audience fear for protagonist heightens.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

118 min

Barber reflects on humanity, courage, and purpose. Comedic mask softens but moral urgency deepens.

#13

Break Into Three

120 min

Barber addresses crowd in Hynkel's uniform. Message of peace, hope, and humanity delivered. Resolution strategy emerges.

#14

Finale

123 min

Audience inspired. Order challenged. Characters reunited safely. Comedy and social commentary resolved. Barber's love story intact. Humanity prevails.

#15

Final Image

125 min

Barber stands in front of crowd, delivering iconic plea for peace. Tone hopeful. Film ends with moral triumph and Chaplin's signature humor.