The Gold Rush, is a silent film released in 1925, and was taken at 24 frames per second. It was starred, as well as directed by Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was said to be one of the greatest filmmakers of his time. I would have to agree with that. It was a silent film, but the acting was worth a thousand words, in regards of impacting the audience. This film was the first one of its time to be over an hour long. Also, it had a $923,000 budget.
The plot of the story started out in the Yukon area of Alaska with a numerous amount of individuals partaking in the Klondike Gold Rush. The Tramp, who is Chaplin’s famous persona, was one of those individuals, who was labeled as “The Lone Prospector.” A snowstorm leads The Tramp to a cabin, that was located in the middle of nowhere to a man named Big Jim McKay, played by Mack Swain, and a fugitive named Black Larsen, who was played by Tom Murray. Through many different comic antics for means of survival, the fugitive falls off of a cliff and dies. The Tramp ultimately gives prospecting up, when he leaves and finds a gold rush town. He took a job looking after a cabin and falls in love with a girl at a local bar scene. Her name was Georgia, played by Georgia Hale. Georgia leads him on and his love for her grows. They set up a date on new years eve but she is a “no show.” Because of a note he believes Georgia has fallen in love with him. Little did he know, the Tramp’s letter was not meant for him. Later on, The Tramp and Big Jim strike fortune and became multi millionaires. He runs into Georgia and the film ends with her and the Tramp sharing a kiss, reflecting their new found relationship.
“The Gold Rush (1925) is the quintessential Chaplin/Little Tramp film, with a balance of slapstick comedy and pantomime, social satire, and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness. It was Chaplin's own personal favorite film, that showcases the classic Tramp character (referred to as "The Little Fellow" in the re-release version) as a romantic idealist and lone gold prospector at the turn of the century, with his cane, derby, distinctive walk, tight shabby suit, and mustache.
Classic scenes include the starvation scene of two cabin-marooned prospectors boiling and fastidiously eating a stewed shoe, the Tramp's cabin-mate deliriously imagining his companion as a large chicken, the teetering cabin on the edge of a cliff, and Chaplin's lonely fantasized New Year's Eve party (with the dancing dinner rolls routine) when he waqits for a girl who never comes.
Early working titles for the film included Lucky Strike and The Northern Story. The film, inspired in part by the gruesome Donner Party story, was shot (over a period of 15 months from spring 1924-summer 1925) both on a Hollywood studio back lot and in Truckee, California/Nevada, and premiered in New York at the Strand Theatre in mid-August, 1925. Chaplin's film was re-released in 1942 with added sound narration and music, both spoken and composed/arranged by Chaplin.”(http://www.filmsite.org/gold.html) This article is, very much so, correct. The balance of comic relief and brilliant sentimental emotion, did wonders for audiences of numerous demographics. The conflict of the Tramp’s love for Georgia, expressed the social problem of respect for people based on their economic status. Acts of irony were extremely funny throughout the entire length of the film
Analysis
Personally, this was a very good movie for me. Going into it, I thought that not being able to relate to sound was going to be harder to understand. However it was quite the contrary. It was interesting to be introduced to the type of humor of the 1920’s. The absence of sound made my sense of sight greater, and required me to put in extra effort to pay attention to the actions taking place. I loved the irony and wholesome anecdotes. This film deserves to be known as the foundation to film as we know it today, and I recommend everyone to see it at some point, as soon as possible.
