8.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After dedicated service in the Great War, a Jewish barber spends years in an army hospital recovering from his wounds, unaware of the simultaneous rise of fascist dictator Adenoid Hynkel and his anti-Semitic policies. When the barber, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Hynkel, returns to his quiet neighborhood, he is stunned by the brutal changes and recklessly joins a beautiful girl and her neighbors in rebelling.
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy GilbertDrama | 100% |
War | 16% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" (1940) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Park Circus. The supplemental features on the disc include Serge Toubiana's documentary "Chaplin Today: The Great Dictator"; behind the scenes color footage; the short scene "Charlie the Barber" (1919); photo gallery; and trailer reel. In English, without optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
The Universal Soldier
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Park Circus.
This is a very good high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is convincing, clarity pleasing and contrast levels very impressive. There are a couple of scenes where I noticed mild edge-enhancement creeping in, but overall the image looks fresh and natural. Macroblocking is not a serious issue of concern. I also did not detect any traces of heavy filtering (there are a couple of spot corrections, most notably during the second half of the film, after Napaloni visits Hynkel, but fine detail is pleasing, and grain is certainly present). Many of the Chaplin close-ups, for example, look wonderful. Furthermore, the color grading is terrific - the blacks are lush and vibrant while the grays and whites look fresh and natural. Additionally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. Also, unlike The Kid, The Great Dictator isn't plagued by scratches, warps, or cuts. To sum it all up, this is undoubtedly the best presentation of Chaplin's The Great Dictator that I have ever seen. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Park Circus have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
Similar to The Kid, Chaplin's The Great Dictator has received two very strong loseless audio tracks. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and was certainly not disappointed. Admittedly, the orchestral score has benefited the most, but Chaplin's passionate speeches now also sound crisper. The dynamic amplitude is, probably, the best it could possible be. The dialog is clean and stable, and there are no serious balance issues.
The lack of optional English subtitles is something that I am concerned about. Hopefully, Park Circus will address the issue, as optional English subtitles should be a standard feature on all Blu-ray releases.
Note: All of the supplemental features are placed on a separate SDVD. They are encoded in PAL.
Chaplin Today: The Great Dictator - a wonderful documentary by Serge Toubiana and Costa-Gavras, produced by MK2TV, in association with France 5, focusing on the production history of The Great Dictator, its political message, Chaplin's relationship with his co-star Paulette Goddard, etc. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).
Behind the scenes color footage - raw footage from the shooting of the film. Without sound. (26 min).
Charlie the Barber (1919) - a hilarious short scene Chaplin shot years before The Great Dictator. Without sound. (8 min).
Photo gallery - a collection of stills from the film.
Trailer reel - trailers for The Kid, A Woman in Paris, The Gold Rush, City Lights, The Circus, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, A King in New York, etc.
In my opinion, The Great Dictator is Chaplin's most straightforward film - everything in it is painfully easy to process. Ironically, and unfortunately, it also proved to be his most visionary film. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of British distributors Park Circus, looks and sounds terrific. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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