STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1941, Page 8

STATE THEATRE

“THE GREAT DICTATOR.” At the request of numerous patrons, a return visit of the brilliant picture, “The Great Dictator,” has been arranged for tonight. Charlie Chaplin has displayed extraordinary subtlety and a penetrating psychological factor in his comedy produftion, “The Great Dictator.” He ridicules the bombastic beings of Europe, stripping them of their power so that they appear absurd. Although there is some propaganda and arresting tragedy, the main theme is essentially satirical. The film ends on a note of courage and hope for the downtrodden peoples of the world, Chaplin speaking fervently and directly to the audience. Beginning with the first world war, the story traces the life of a little Jewish barber suffering from amnesia, who finds himself in the capital city of Tomania, ruled by a cruel dictator. He speaks up for the Jews when they are persecuted and is thrown into a concentration camp. Chaplin also plays the dictator whose time is so occupied that he has no more than a few moments to devot to each task. Amusing scenes depict his ballet with a balloon, posing in haste for his painting and the meeting with a rival bumptious dictator portrayed by Jack Oakie.