The Lone Prospector (Charlie Chaplin) is in search of gold in Canada’s Klondike. However, as he ventures north and plans to find fortune, he unexpectedly finds more than he’s willing to bargain for, altering the trajectory of his journey. With women, cute dogs, and wandering houses, the prospector’s journey through The Great White North becomes far more dangerous, adventurous, and entertaining than he could have ever imagined. Strap in, you’re in for a bumpy ride.
In 1925 Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush was released by United Artists. Sans dialogue, the film, like many of Chaplin’s films, took the world by storm and entertained from beginning to end. In 1942, however, Chaplin and his cohorts decided to release an updated version of the film that included dialogue (sort of) and narration from Chaplin himself. While nearly everything that Chaplin does is gold, his reimagining of The Gold Rush is not quite that. With the original telling of The Gold Rush on the cusp of perfection, the addition of dialogue and narrative sadly takes the film in the wrong direction. While it becomes difficult throughout the course of the film to appreciate both the dialogue and narration, I implore you to think back to what the film was before the alteration; understand that while the film has been changed in a number of ways, Chaplin has still poured his heart and soul into the beauty that lives within this film, and the beauty of what the comic genius has to offer still lives within this project.
Chaplin is, subjectively (maybe even objectively), one of the greatest actors ever to grace the big screen. Years ahead of what the artform would become, he managed to entertain the world in ways that seemed unlikely–or even impossible. The Gold Rush continues the trend of Chaplin’s excellence in previously unexplored territory.
The most impressive aspects of this 1925 film are the camera work and set design. During a time when it would have been even more difficult than now to create realistic sets and bring to life some scenes that might be considered a bit inorganic, Chaplin and his team consistently develop a series of sets that accurately depicted the havoc in which the Lone Prospector and company are a part. And while the sets in the 1920’s weren’t perfect (as resources were typically somewhat limited) the cinematography department of The Gold Rush meets the set team halfway and allows viewers to suspend their disbelief and appreciate even the most absurd scenarios.
With Chaplin’s genius at the forefront of The Gold Rush throughout its entirety, it seems nearly impossible not to appreciate what is being done. The comedy is impeccable, and Chaplin himself delivers his usual zingers, along with making literally everyone around him more enjoyable. From beginning to end The Gold Rush entertains and reminds viewers who may be familiar with only Chaplin’s best works (i.e. The Great Dictator, City Lights, etc.) that the comic genius is one of the best ever. With the exception of the alterations made–including the narration by Chaplin and the added dialogue, The Gold Rush may very well be one of Chaplin’s best films. It seems entirely necessary that every cinephile (and even those who casually enjoy cinema) make it a point to see this film at least once in their lives.
Written & Directed by Charles Chaplin.
Starring Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm White, Georgia Hale, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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