THE GOLD RUSH (1925)

Country: U.S.A.

Genre(s): Comedy

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Cast: Charlie Chaplin / Mack Swain / Georgia Hale

Plot

Charlie Chaplin’s iconic Tramp wanders through the Alaskan wilderness in search of gold, love, and friendship.

What I Liked

“The Gold Rush” features perhaps the greatest collection of physical gags of any of Chaplin’s films (Though I freely admit I have not seen them all as of yet).  He may not be quite the purveyor of gut-busting physical feats as a Buster Keaton, but an artist like Chaplin surpasses Keaton (and almost any other filmmaker, silent or otherwise) for creative genius. Indeed many of this movie’s scenes are so well done as to be definitive.  Much of the humorous jokes are familiar even to people who have never seen it before for the simple fact that they have been imitated so very often in everything from commercials to cartoons to major films.  One wonders what Looney Tunes writers would have done for a living if they hadn’t had Chaplin’s films to steal from.

The impressive visuals don’t simply stop at the humorous, either.  There are tremendous settings, filmed in part on location in the mountains around Truckee, California (site of the Donner Party incident) and in part on a Hollywood back-lot.  The scenes with snow storms in particular are pretty astounding, both for the amusing happenings and the frightening realism of the storm and the violence that accompanies it. It’s no wonder this was the most expensive film of the silent era.

With this film Chaplin once again shows himself a master at taking elements that should be downright scary, disturbing, or sad and transforms them into a wonderful blend of the light-hearted, magical and funny.

What I Didn’t Like

This is a Charlie Chaplin film.  There’s nothing to dislike, as far as I’m concerned.  The man was a successful perfectionist as an entertainer.  However, some might be surprised at the film’s violence and themes of this pre-code film.  Two men are shot to death in the early part of the film and there are multiple allusions to starvation and cannibalism.  Chaplin was apparently familiar with and interested in the story of the Donner Party and it in part inspired the more disconcerting components to “The Gold Rush."

Most Memorable Scene:

As the Tramp fantasizes about a New Years Eve dinner party with three female friends, he proceeds to entertain his imagined guests with what he calls “The Oceanic Roll.”  Sticking two forks into two rolls to resemble legs and feet, he performs a little dance at the table.  It’s a simple, face-on, level shot with a single man performing an amusing joke with nothing but the items at his immediate disposal.  In another’s hands, the scene shouldn’t be anything special.  In Chaplin it’s fine art.  Beautiful.  Elegant.  Funny.  Heart-breaking.  There are many terrific, classic moments in cinema history.  I can’t imagine one that can beat this one for one out for pure magic

If all of American film was somehow about to be wiped out and I could only save a handful of moments, this one would without a doubt rank among them. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5