The Gold Rush (1925) is a silent comedy that was produced and directed by Charlie Chaplain (Kamin and Eyman 6). Notably, the film is full of social satire hence enriched with dramatic and emotional moments that qualifies it to be one of the favorite comedies of its time. The major film stars in the comedy include Malcolm Waite, Tom Murray, George Hale, Henry Bergman and Mack Swain (Kamin and Eyman 8).
This film is all about a Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplain) who is showcased as a romantic idealist and a gold prospector in the scene. It is imperative to note that the film is well prorogued with a historical background that commences during a period when there is a great gold rush that drives thousands of men to Alaska from across the world. From the scene, most of the men are ignorant of the hardships such as cold weather and starvation that waits for them in Alaska (Kamin and Eyman 12).
For this reason, the opening of the scene is very spectacular where hundreds of gold prospectors trail to Alaska. These men are determined to win the race and seek for fortune by climbing the mountain full of snow in search of gold fields. In the scene, there are those who get discouraged and turn back. This is where the main protagonist in the film appears (Kamin and Eyman 27). Notably, Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) makes his way in the snow paths with a stick completely unaware aware that a bear is following him. Meanwhile, there is another fortune hunter by the name Big Jim (Mack Swain) who is lucky to find the gold and exclaims “I have found it!” (Kamin and Eyman 32).
in the meantime, the place is hit by storm and consequently, Little Tramp seeks for shelter while Big Jim is swept away. Little Tramp shelters in a cabin of a violent man identified as Black Larsen (Tom Murray) who orders him out. Nevertheless, both Little Tramp and Big Jim plead with Black Larsen who allows them to reside in the cabin where they feel warm and safe (Kamin and Eyman 32).
It is certain that the film works perfectly to the end since it is full of dramatizations yet very silent (Kamin and Eyman 56). This is because the comedy is full of tenderness and pathos that portray an outstanding originality of Chaplain’s artistic skills. Moreover, the film appears more appealing to the audience since there is a lot of suspense, a factor that makes one to keep following the episodes in the scene.
Notably, Chaplain makes the film livelier since he does not only just find gold in Alaska but also finds love (Kamin and Eyman 57). To emphasize on this, Tramp is portrayed as a prospector in the cabin where he spots and falls in love with Georgia Hale, a saloon girl. Moreover, he finds uproarious adventure that transforms his life. It is essential to comment that the film appears very romantic especially at the end of the scene. This is after Tramp’s relationship with Georgia becomes more intimate.
The reason why I like the film is that it has some aspects of humor in it. For example, Tramp and Georgia invites a photographer to take an engagement photograph for them. Nevertheless, they get very much captivate by their love affair until they are no longer able to wait for the photograph to be taken.
Works Cited
Kamin, Dan and Scott, Eyman. The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2011. Print.