I had never watched this movie before. I didn't watch a lot of Chaplin films growing up. In fact, I may never have seen any; I'd have to check. This is a pretty good starting point, though.
A Jewish barber (Charlie Chaplin) returns to his shop after a long convalescent period due to war injuries to find that his friends and neighbors are being persecuted under the orders of dictator Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin). The barber just wants to live in peace but when stormtroopers attack and harass the washerwoman next door (Paulette Goddard), he steps in to defend her.
You absolutely could double feature this with Jojo Rabbit. I know a lot of people have made parallels between them and they are very complementary. Another, if slightly more off-beat, choice would be Iron Sky, which directly references Great Dictator. Basically, any movie where fascists get what's coming to them would be a good match. It has to be a comedy, though. Don't go watching Schindler's List or Night and Fog after this. If you watch the Great Dictator before, those movies will seem extra depressing. And if you watch it after, it will feel too cynical. So be judicious.
Also, if you're like me, you have inextricably linked Charlie Chaplin and silent films. This is not a silent film. That threw me a little more than it probably should have. It's currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.
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