The Dictator (2012 film)
| The Dictator | |
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| Directed by | Larry Charles |
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| Cinematography | Lawrence Sher |
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| Music by | Erran Baron Cohen |
Production company | Four By Two Films |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Running time | 83 minutes |
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| Budget | $65–100 million |
| Box office | $190.2 million |
The Dictator is a 2012 political satire black comedy film co-written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen in his fourth feature film in a leading role. The film was directed by Larry Charles, who also directed Baron Cohen's mockumentaries Borat and Brüno. Baron Cohen, in the role of Admiral General Aladeen, the dictator of the fictional Republic of Wadiya visiting the United States, stars alongside Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, and Jason Mantzoukas, with uncredited appearances by John C. Reilly, Garry Shandling, and Edward Norton.
Producers Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel said that Baron Cohen's character was inspired by real-life dictators with personality cults like Kim Jong Il, Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Mobutu Sese Seko, and Saparmurat Niyazov. The film's opening credits sarcastically dedicate it "in loving memory" to Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011. It received mixed reviews from critics, grossing $190.2 million.