In Charlie Chaplin’s first standard talking feature, he boldly lampoons the rise of Adolf Hitler and fascism with biting wit and social awareness. Chaplin plays the double roles of a vicious dictator and a clueless Jewish barber who happens to be his lookalike. In the year 1940 when the United States had not yet entered the war against Nazi Germany, Chaplin’s decision to ruthlessly ridicule Hitler openly with a stinging satire was considered controversial and dangerous. But the great comedian had long despised the Nazis and their abhorrent policies, and he saw their threat to the world. Artistically, unlike many of his contemporaries from the silent era, Chaplin adapted to sound film without a hitch. His stirring speech at the film’s end remains one of the most recognisable monologues in cinema history.

The screening on 17 September will be followed by a panel discussion on the sociopolitical elements in Chaplin’s life and work, in addition to the relevance of his ideas in the 21st century. Dr. Tim Gruenewald, Programme Director and Associate Professor of American Studies at University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Fiona Law, Lecturer in Comparative Literature at the University of Hong Kong, will join M+ Assistant Curator of Moving Image Francisco Lo on this talk in English.

Charlie Chaplin (1889—1977, United Kingdom) was an actor, director, screenwriter, and composer. He was a popular vaudeville performer before he transitioned to film in the United States. After making a great number of comedic shorts in 'The Little Tramp' persona, Chaplin directed and starred in his first feature film, The Kid (1921). Box office and critical successes continued with films such as The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), and Modern Times (1936). His sound films—The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), among others—proved that the silent film giant was capable to evolve with the times.