The Gold Rush

1. In class we discussed at length the life and career of Charlie Chaplin. This was considered his best film and many of the elements that were said to have been addressed in his films came up in The Gold Rush. Subjects such as poverty and hunger come up throughout the film and it is usually centered around Chaplin's character. The scene when the three characters are in the cabin and get snowed in, hunger comes up as a serious issue. They are even reduced to eating Chaplin's shoe because food is so scarce. Chaplin's character is also extremely poor and has essentially no money until the end when he and Big Jim find the gold. His poverty even kept him from Georgia, the girl that he was seeking throughout the film. Although Chaplin made these issues comical, they were then and still are now very serious problems, but that is what made him a comedic genius.

2. This article goes into an overview of the film but it also brings to light the brilliance that is Charlie Chaplin. The summary of the film is just that, a summary. The article tells the basic plot line of The Gold Rush and gives you an inside look at the characters. That is not the important part however, the rest of the article brings to light what a great film this was and how in every sense this is Chaplin's best work. It tells us that this is one of the greatest comedies of all time and how every part of the film was put together so well. It tells us how Alaska was the perfect setting for the story as well as being an easy one to create in the studio. It also talks about the great casting that was done by Chaplin and not to mention his great acting.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117789109?refcatid=31

3. I think that this article definitely had an impact at the way that I looked at every facet of this film. Because The Gold Rush is a silent film I had some trouble keeping myself focused for the entire 90 minutes. Looking back however I realize that I was jaded because of the way that we view films today. To be able to make people laugh without any dialogue is an amazing feat and I believe that is why people still talk about and view Chaplin's films almost one hundred years later. As a director his vision of this film as fantastic, but as an actor he truly brought comedy and film itself to a whole new level.

4. At first glance I wasn't sure if I missed something or if the film itself was just dated, but looking back I can see why people look at The Gold Rush as a piece of classic cinema. As I said in my response earlier being able to make people laugh and to be truly funny without the use of sound is a very hard thing to do, but Chaplin did a phenomenal job of that in this film. The fact that he could draw emotions out of people in the present day through a silent film is astounding. He made you laugh, feel sorry for, and become elated for his character all in the same film and all without saying a single word. Most films that are made with modern technology cannot do that. Overall, it is clear why Charlie Chaplin is looked at as a film icon and why The Gold Rush goes down in history as a break through comedy.