History Film / TheDictator

* BilingualBonus: As in ''Film/{{Borat}}'', [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign "Wadiyan" is actually Hebrew]]. The greeting "Jachnoon" is actually [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jachnun a type of Yemenite Jewish pastry]]. Also, the description Aladeen gives of himself as like the mafrum fruit ("hard and spiky on the outside, but soft and really mushy on the in") is the same as the "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_(person) Sabra]]" stereotype of Israelis.

* MistakenForTerrorist: This happens to Aladeen and Nadal when they are on the helicopter. They're speaking about mundane things in Arabic (actually Hebrew), but with hand gestures and English names that give their fellow passengers the impression they're plotting to destroy various New York landmarks.

** Whereas Aladeen once seemed to genuinely believe that - quote - "the Wadiyan people love being oppressed", [[spoiler:his declaration of democracy being "instated" in Wadiya is the start of his first actual effort at feigning benevolence for the rest of the world, holding an election with a legitimate opponent (winning by a full 1.19 percentage points less compared to his last and what was once his only one), changing his main title to President-Prime Minister, and not being pathologically resentful to those who dispute his ballistic missile design choices. Baby steps towards being RepressiveButEfficient.]]

** Whereas Aladeen once seemed to genuinely believe that - quote - "the Wadiyan people love being oppressed", [[spoiler:his declaration of democracy being "instated" in Wadiya is the start of his first actual effort at feigning benevolence for the rest of the world, holding an election (winning by a full 1.19 percentage points compared to his last and once-only one), changing his main title to President-Prime Minister, and not being pathologically resentful to those who dispute his ballistic missile design choices. Baby steps towards being RepressiveButEfficient.]]

** Whereas Aladeen once seemed to genuinely believe that - quote - "the Wadiyan people love being oppressed", [[spoiler:his declaration of democracy being "instated" in Wadiya is the start of his first actual effort at feigning benevolence for the rest of the world, holding an election (winning by a full 1.19 percentage points compared to his last and once-only one), changing his main title to President-Prime Minister, and not being pathologically resentful to those who dispute his rocket design choices. Babysteps towards being RepressiveButEfficient.]]

* HiddenDepths: For all of Aladeen's many, many faults, he's actually [[NoDelaysForTheWicked an incredibly efficient manager]]. This is evidenced when [[spoiler: he forcibly takes control of Zoey's store. After a couple of days, he's got the right employees doing the right job, has the store looking nice and generally running smoothly. Albeit by employing some questionable methods, including kidnapping and extortion!]]

* AssholeVictim: Clayton, the racist xenophobe who kidnaps and tries (and fails) to torture and murder Shabazz and [[spoiler:gets burned to best.]]

** It crosses over with PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad.

* NotSoDifferent: America and Wadiya. As Aladeen's speech in the CharacterFilibuster entry shows, everything that Aladeen considers to be a mark of dictatorship can also be applied to America.

* UndyingLoyalty: Naffatun the body double. He's genuinely concerned for his leader's health and instantly relinquishes power back to him as soon as he returns. He also takes a bullet for Aladeen in the climax.

* TortureTechnician: Aladeen's kidnapper tries to be this, but Aladeen, himself a TortureTechnician, mocks and degrades his apparently outdated tool set, ruining the fun for his captor.

A 2012 movie starring Creator/SachaBaronCohen doing what he does best - pretending to be a guy from another country (this time ethnically non-specific) who makes fun of other people's ignorance regarding ethnic stereotypes.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Aladeen is initially enraged that his idiot body double is making him look like a fool in front of the UN and the entire world. However, after the double pours a pitcher of urine over the head of the Israeli ambassador, Aladeen admits that's actually pretty good.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: [[spoiler: Aladeen is initially enraged that his idiot body double is making him look like a fool in front of the UN and the entire world. However, after the double pours a pitcher of urine over the head of the Israeli ambassador, Aladeen admits that's actually pretty good.]]

* PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny: The Republic of Wadiya does not have an overly long name, but it deserves a mention for just now blatantly undemocratic it is. From the official site:
--> Aladeen righteously declared his father Eternal President of the Republic and called for free elections to determine who would serve as Vice-President under his dead father. Aladeen won with only 99.999% of the vote. After an exhaustive government investigation, it was discovered that the one dissenting vote came from Aladeen himself, who deliberately misspelled his own name as an ingenious test of the system.

* TakeThat: A BIG one at the US, when Aladeen states [[NotSoDifferent everything that a tyrant state does, the US has been doing]], leading, to Aladeen to say this at the end.

* DeadGuyPuppet: Aladeen seek a beard from an African warlord's head and has Nadal chop it off while they're at the funeral. Afterwards, Aladeen plays with the decapitated head like a puppet.

* DemocracyIsFlawed: Aladeen gives out [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a speech on how disastrous democracy can be]] near the climax. You have to compete with the ultra-elite rich for economic power, you'll be denied education and healthcare if you don't have the money to afford it, and you have to accept votes from people who are black, female, disabled, etc. even if you don't like it. [[JerkassHasAPoint In conclusion, Aladeen retorts there is chaos with so many trying to push their own agendas]] and there's no way to please or satisfy everybody.

** {{YMMV}}: Given Wadiya is located in North Africa and is a thinly-veiled reference to Libya, Aladeen is likely Berber.

** {{YMMV}}: Given Wadiya is located in North Africa and is a thinly-veiled reference to Libya, Aladeen is likely Berber or Bedouin.

** {{YMMV}}: Given Wadiya is located in North Africa and is a thinly-veiled reference to Libya, Aladeen is likely Berber.