Review of The Gold Rush (1925) by Alex M — 15 Jan 2004

[size=3]Perhaps one of the two or three funniest films Charlie Chaplin directed and starred in, [i]The Gold Rush [/i]represents the Tramp character at his most endearing. While the story (involving the Tramp's trip to the Klondike in search of gold) is a tad uneven and convoluted and the romance seems forced and syrupy, it is the individual comic scenes that this movie is remembered for. Among them: the Tramp being forced to eat a shoe; the cabin on the cliff; and the famous dancing potatoes. Chaplin's comic timing is, as always, impeccable, but the comic scenes come as something of a relief since the main narrative is not particularly compelling. There may be no other film, except perhaps [i]City Lights[/i], in which Chaplin so shamelessly counts on the audience's sentiments to be with the Tramp. Unlike Keaton, Chaplin is always concerned with the audience's love and affection, and while his efforts to win those affections are endearing in his shorts, they wear a little thin in this movie. Nevertheless, [i]The Gold Rush [/i]is one of the very best silent comedies, and one of the essential entries in Chaplin's canon.[/size].

[size=3](BASIC)[/size].