[Silent Film Marathon] 7# The Gold Rush (1925)

My Rating: 9/10

Directed, written & Produced by: Charlie Chaplin

Runtime: 96 Minutes

Genre: Comedy, Drama

This film deserves at least a 9/10, because this film is definitely certified fresh for it’s comedic and dramatic efforts. As usual Mr. Chaplin creates a dramatic comedy that makes you laugh out loud, and with this one it really does, but also brings a tear to your eye –not literally on my experience-. With hilarious slapstick, a warm and sincere story and Chaplin’s classic character The Tramp, the film is a wondrous piece of silent cinema. Taking place around 1898, a time of the gold rush in the story, the weather is extremely wild and our character is on the quest for gold, although he does not succeed in finding much. This is another one of Chaplin’s finest films because of it’s sincere comedy full of delightful and humorous acting. As much as some will say that Chaplin’s character is recycled, which is true to some degree, but it’s a character that I love to see. Chaplin in his later years did move on to making films outside his Tramp character, but it is one of the earliest great creations of Cinema, a character who really connects with people. Thanks to the great writing the character never does feel re-used as he’s always put into a different situation.

Plot:

It’s a time during the gold rush and everyone is on a get rich quest. We meet The Tramp journeying alone to get some gold but a huge storm breaks out. He discovers an empty hut that he later discovers when a ‘Wanted’ man enters it isn’t empty. Another man soon arrives, and a big man at that. So there is the tramp and the other weary traveller with the angry and furious of their stay criminal. Soon they run out of food, where the tramp decides to cook his shoe. They all decide someone has to go out in that blizzard to find food, which soon ends up being the tough guy so The tramp is left with Big Jim McKay. From there onwards it's a journey of our little friend the tramp who discovers love and a millionaire. A lot happens in the first 20 minutes and the film follows The tramp’s journey of travelling through a blizzard to making a way to becoming a millionaire.

Chaplin does it again

I can’t get enough of Chaplin’s work. His iconic Tramp character is easy to identify with and in this film, he is outrageously funny. My favourite scene is when Georgia (our female supporting character) tells The tramp that she and her friends will visit him at 8pm on New year’s eve to celebrate and when she leaves he goes absolutely wild in the hut (not the same hut from the beginning). The film has some very touching moments and for me I grew attached to the character. The story was terrific also. It was a great concept and was inventively funny.

Chaplin carving the shoe.

Around the tramp was an excellent cast of terrific, but simplistic in a way, characters. The Tramp first meets the tough thug who is also a wanted man, and after, Big Jim McKay, a prospector. Then we have Georgia who at first plays with the tramp’s emotions along with her friends and soon falls in love with him. It’s a great romance story much like that in City Lights. Every moment of the film is golden and there is never a 10 minutes of boredom. All 10 of it's reels are great and will not leave you unhappy. There is always something exciting happening and with Chaplin’s talented writing, it’s easy to see why it is golden. Not only is Chaplin’s writing superb, but the supporting characters do a splendid job.  There are many scenes I could mention where terrific, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

One of the funniest scenes from the film.

Overall:

One of the final scenes has Big Jim and the tramp at the cabin where they where at the beginning of the films and there house seemed to have blown to an edge of a cliff. The reason they went there is because it was to help Big Jim find his treasure, which he does. The scene is hilarious and is one of the film's most memorable moments. The Gold Rush is among one of the greatest silent films I’ve seen and overall.  The film is another triumph from the workings of Chaplin who has become a true icon in Cinema. Bringing smiles to your face and that sincere heart-warming feel Chaplin has great finesse and style. The story is full of pathos, emotion and slapstick comedy satisfying enough for the modern day film viewer and is highly enjoyable. Overall The Gold Rush stands as one of Chaplin’s finest films and is humorous as it is heart-felt.

Ratings:

Screenplay/Story: 9.3/10

Characters: 9.3/10

Emotion: 9/10

Visuals & Editing: 8.8/10

Direction & Cinematography: 9.1/10

Music: 8.9/10

Overall: 9.1/10