The Dictator, released in 2012 is a political satire/comedy film starring many iconic actors such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, and Bobby Lee. Produced by Four By Two Films, and directed by Larry Charles, the movie had a budget of 65 million and grossed over 179 million worldwide. The film is an original work and has received mixed reviews because of its offensiveness and controversial nature. The writers of the film, led by Baron Cohen, based the protagonist of the story on real-life dictators in order to comment on the absurdities of dictatorships, while also drawing comparisons between dictatorships and democracy.

The film follows a ruthless dictator Admiral General Aladeen who rules over the fictional nation of Wadiya. After escaping an assassination attempt orchestrated by his own uncle, Aladeen is stripped from his power and now wanders the streets of New York. After meeting with his old nuclear scientist, and a feminist activist, he sets out on a journey to regain his position as a dictator. Along the way, Aladeen gets involved in ridiculous and outlandish situations all while mocking the absurdities of both American and Wadiyan politics.

The film uses a variety of creative elements to portray the flaws of democracy. For example, in one scene, Aladeen speaks to his nuclear scientist in his native language on a helicopter. To the passengers of the helicopter, it would seem that the 2 middle eastern passengers are planning a terrorist attack. However because of the creative use of subtitles, we the viewers know that Aladeen was simply having a conversation with his nuclear scientist friend. This not only creates a hilarious scene but also comments on the racist stereotypes Americans have against the Middle Easterns as in the next scene, Aladeen and his nuclear scientist friend were arrested on charges of terrorism. 

The film has a running time of 83 minutes and was the best 83 minutes I ever spent. In my experience, I have never had anything that made me laugh as much as The Dictator. The film's use of clever writing and biting satire resulted in non-stop laughs, making it a memorable and enjoyable viewing experience. Although the offensive jokes are not for everyone, I strongly urge everyone to watch this film. 

Overall, the film was effective in commenting on the political environment of the US. Towards the end, Aladeen proclaims,

“Imagine if America was a dictatorship. You could let 1% of the people have all the nation's wealth. You could help your rich friends get richer by cutting their taxes and bailing them out when they gamble and lose. You could ignore the needs of the poor for health care and education. Your media would appear free but would secretly be controlled by one person and his family. You could wiretap phones, you could torture foreign prisoners, You could have rigged elections. You could lie about why you go to war. You could fill your prisons with one particular racial group and no one would complain! You could use the media to scare the people into supporting policies that are against their interests.”

While at surface level it would seem like Aladeen is describing a dictatorship, but you would eventually come to realize that these are also aspects of the US democracy. This powerful speech delivered by Aladeen near the end of the film effectively sums up the film's message by presenting these uncomfortable truths in a blunt and straightforward manner. To effectively incorporate elements of humor into such a serious and controversial topic is incredibly difficult and yet the writers of the movie have done it over and over again. Because of the excellent screenwriting along with the hilariousness of the movie, I give this movie a final rating of 10/10.