The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush 


1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" was a silent film that rejuvenated the silent film business and opened new opportunities to more cinematic  productions. Chaplin wrote and directed this film as well as starring as the lead actor. The film portrays a wonderful story of love and adventure and is also a symbolic stepping stone into Film history as it takes a viewer back in the times where words wasn't necessary in order to make a great film. The film was made so sophisticated and intelligent, that anybody that viewed no matter what country they lived could understand it to its fulfillment. The very entertaining Chaplin is remembered as one of the all time greatest directors in film history.

2. Find a related article and summarize the content. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/movies/homevideo/charlie-chaplin-in-the-gold-rush-remastered.html?_r=0

"Braving the Klondike on a Shoe Diet", is an article that was published in the NY times on June 22, 2012. The article talks about the silent films and its integrity in cinema. It compares the movie "The Artist", which is mock silent film by Michel Hazanavicius, to Chaplin's "The Gold Rush". Chaplin's original 1925 classic is still viewed as one of his most marvelous creations, but even Chaplin remastered his version in 1942 to give it a more current make-over. The article also talks about the way Chaplin shot his films and the production that was put into making his masterpiece. Chaplin was a innovative director and tried using different aspects of filming such as isolation and enforced individualism. The title "Braving the Klondike on a Shoe Diet" relates to a very significant scene in the movie when Chaplin cooks his own shoe to give it to the miner who in the ends makes him a millionaire. This movie  along with Chaplin's dinner roll dance made him perhaps the most famous individual on earth in 1925.

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class. 

The article supports the claim that "The Gold Rush" was a very influential movie in film history. It supports how Chaplin's ideas and motive could be used and recreated to make other silent films such as "The Artist". "The Gold Rush" might have been remastered with some narration in the 1942 version of it, but Chaplin's 1925 version still holds his initial objective in making a successful film in which shows a clear meaning without having any words being said. The way he directed, filmed, and acted in the movie was extremely accurate and made Chaplin's objective seem well thought out and accomplished.

4. Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.

I didn't know what to expect after being told we were going to watch a silent movie in class. The first thing on my mind was how would I be able to enjoy and understand a movie if I couldn't hear emotion of the characters through their voices. I was wrong. From beginning to end I could tell exactly how Chaplin and his co stars were feeling. I think the greatest aspect of the movie was the glorious acting. Without speaking, people have to rely on reading body language and facial expressions to tell the emotions of a person and I feel like all the actors did a fantastic job into bringing feeling in the way acted and told their story in complete silence just with a little music to assist them. This movie could be seen universally and still everybody would still; understand its symbolic meaning. I will definitely recommend this movie to anybody interested in film making or in the film industry to see where movies came from and after watching it I'm sure that they will be motivated to go on to make their own works of cinematic art.