- The Gold Rush made in 1923 starring Charlie Chaplin was one of the silent films that really gave meaning to a character and his purpose. His character was one who used slapped stick comedy and gags to define the type of person he was in the film. Not only was Charles Spencer Chaplin an actor but he was also a brilliant director, and one who used his character over and over again in many different pieces. The tramp costume was used to represent the social issues that took place in society; Chaplin always came off as a popper or the underdog in many cases. Throughout the Gold Rush the viewer can see how the tramp consistency yearns to be accepted by the higher ups in the town, or anyone for that matter. Even though Chaplin makes us laugh with his comedy he can also make you cry or force you to really imagine how cruel the world can really be sometimes. This film not only shows gags but various forms of crime, poverty, hunger, and other controversial themes. A famous clip was when the tramp was so hungry he was forced to eat a shoe, and even tried with a dog. Another was the New Years Eve scene when it showed just how lonely he really was, Charles Chaplin put strong messages in everything he did.
The story of the Gold Rush goes back into the years when men would disappear into the mountains for weeks in search of gold. The only person who stands a chance in freezing cold weather when other men have given up, is the main character and underdog the tramp played by Charlie Chaplin. When the tramp finds himself to be lost he wanders into a cabin belonging to a violent man named Black Larsen who has no intentions of sharing his cabin. Another man by the name of big Jim Mckay claims to have found the gold and also wanders into the cabin of Black Larsen after his tent blown away. Larsen being overpowered by big Jim agrees to let the to men stay with him, and is sent out to look for food after loosing a bet. The tramp as well as big Jim are starving in the cabin when the tramp suddenly comes up with the idea of eating his shoe along with the laces, this would be marked as a famous scene for Chaplin in the film. The two men solve their food problem by shooting and eating a wandering bear that comes into the cabin. The men part their ways and the tramp stumbles into a nearby town where he meets a young lady by the name of Georgia, to bad for Chaplin that she is already taken. The film eventually ends with big Jim finding the gold and sharing half of it with the tramp, while walking around the tramp runs into a now single Georgia and in a turn of events the two end up together.
4. I enjoyed this film because it’s your classic underdog story with the tramp who is looking for acceptance and finally gets it at the end. Charlie Chaplin knew how to grab an audience and show them the harsh realities of life that still existed. In the new years scene where Chaplin imagined himself with the girls having fun only to find out that it was a dream made the viewer really feel for him. The tramp no matter what the condition or pickle he was in stayed proud and true to the person he was. This piece made the viewer want to see if there was really light at the end of the tunnel for Chaplin, which there was. Chaplin made sure his pieces had the ending that most people would come to love and remember. He will go down as one of the best comedians of all time.
