The Gold Rush [G]

A Lone Prospector battling through the icy regions in the search for gold encounters grizzly bears, wanted villains, almost-cannibalism, and true love on his road to becoming a millionaire. 

So here I am in my Chaplin hat, paying homage to a genius! Charles Chaplin said that this was the film he wanted to be most remembered for, and it seems that this wish has come true. The Gold Rush gave to birth to classic comedy scenes that have been sampled and imitated time and time again and it also showed us that tragedy and comedy are never that far apart. 

A Lone Prospector battling through the icy regions in the search for gold encounters grizzly bears, wanted villains, certain death, cold, starvation, almost-cannibalism, dance-hall brawls, and true love on his road to becoming a millionaire. 

Based on historical events, stereoscope slides of the privations of the prospectors in the Klondyke Gold Rush of 1896-1898, and a book about the Donner Party Disaster of 1846, The Gold Rush is the film that Chaplin is most remembered for. A silent work of cinematic genius, the beauty lies in the Chaplin’s belief that comedy and tragedy are never that far apart. Taking some very dramatic and sometimes sinister themes such as death by starvation and cannibalism, Chaplin turns these on their ear and produces side-splitting classic comedy. 

For its day, the film was most extravagant with scenes being shot on location and 600 extras having to be brought by train to trudge through the snow, portraying the pull of the Gold Rush. From watching this film for the first time during an afternoon in the year 2011, all I can say is that I particularly love the simplicity of the entire thing. It really makes you think about how much efforts and expenses and whatever else goes into making movies, not to mention how far the film industry has advanced. The Gold Rush was a silent movie, aside from the narration, black and white, had limited special effects, and much of the emphasis was on the soundtrack. 

That is what I loved most about this film: the music. I have always said that music plays a crucial role in establishing a mood and creating the atmosphere for a scene, and this was entirely the case in The Gold Rush. The film used a mixture of classical and well-known tunes to set the mood for each scene, for example, The Flight of the Bumblebee is used in any scene where there anxiety, suspense, or a chase. The love theme from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is also featured when love blooms for the leading man (and yes, I do know that this film was made ages before Sleeping Beauty, but that’s where I know the tune from. Any plagiarism charges should be directed to George Bruns.) 

Chaplin stars as the Lone Prospector and his performance is nothing short of immortal genius. He’s fast-moving, fluid, exuberant, charming, adorable, and just all-around brilliant! I particularly loved his scene where he did the dance with the bread rolls, a scene that has been imitated in heaps of things including an episode of The Simpsons and, later by Johnny Depp in Benny and Joon. 

Starring Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite, and Georgia Hale, The Gold Rush is a timeless classic and memorable piece in cinematic history. Filled with music, romance, suspense, action, and comedy, I loved it from start to finish!