The Gold Rush: Cynical and Tender Comedy

When watching Charlie Chaplin's 1925 The Gold Rush at the Dryden Theatre, I was surprised to hear during the introduction that the critics who were not fans of the film denounced its ambition and lack of simplicity that his earlier shorts relished. Having watched this film many times as well as his later works, I never quite thought about The Gold Rush as an ambitious film, coming from the director who made The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator. Yet, keeping those words from the critics in mind as I watched, for the first time, the non-narrated version of the film, I saw the film wholly. The Gold Rush combines cynicism with tenderness to create comedic diversity and a rich narrative, one that flourishes with a plethora of enunciated simple feelings.

The film's narrative can be partitioned into two halves, though, of course, they mesh together in the end. The film's first half treats us with the Tramp as he tries to survive with two other gold diggers in the harsh environment of the relentless winter. It is well known that The Gold Rush got much inspiration from an actual story of a group of gold diggers who reverted to cannibalism after being stranded in the middle of a harsh winter. The gags that make up this portion of the film create an undertone of cynicism. Consider the scene where Chaplin thinks Big Jim has eaten the dog (who has a very lavish coat of fur, if I may add). The gag creates a cautionary hilarity that ironically visualizes the physical and mental states of the three men in a position of survival. Chaplin succeeds in producing comedy by extracting the absurdity of the moment and generates something playful; much of the comedy seems motivated by human desperation and is constantly being played upon.

Unlike the first half, the second half has comedy is mostly influenced by human tenderness, focusing more on the Tramps love for Georgia. Similar to City Lights, the gags are amplified through the growth of relationships between the Tramp and the other characters. The touching scene where Georgia accepts the invitation to the Tramps New Year's Eve party which causes the Tramp to go crazy, making a mess all over the cabin, is one that absurdly amplifies the enjoyment felt by our protagonist. I feel it also works since, looking at the story as a whole, we begin to see the small triumphs of the Tramp even in the onset of survival. Though the film does amplify simple feelings with a touch of tenderness, the famous 'Dance with the Rolls' is so brilliant because of its mysteriousness it is imbued by. Of course, the Tramp wants to entertain his guests and especially Georgia, yet the act is quite random and the facial expressions we see Chaplin do are subtle and engrossing. Take note of his eyes and 'feet', the most expressive parts of his body since most of it has been substituted for the rolls and the forks. But, boy, his eyes have a certain enigmatic quality; they seem to stare into space with somber latency. In fact, I will go as far as to say this is the closest I've seen Chaplin resemble Buster Keaton (who had a nickname of 'The Great Stone Face') with this pantomime.

Nonetheless, the second part of the film remains endearing for its humorous love story. Though I do want to bring an intriguing theme up since, after many viewings, it has risen as something to think about when I watch it. In a sense, there is a notion of survival and adaptation or, stay with me now, Darwinian mechanics working within this story that fits well with the survival in the first half. This second half is more within the species while the first applies to their given environment. Now, I know there is much that can be said about that that would somewhat taint the attitude of the film, but I will acknowledge the similarities. Competition is apparent in both, it is just the motivation for such competition that is different, hence the thematic importance of the title of the film.

The stories converge at the end, complete with an ingenious gag that has the cabin leaning over a cliff, and what we are left with is a convergence of comedic exploration rendered successful by Chaplin. There is one thing to say about the version I just recently watched over the narrated one I am use to seeing and the one that has populated circulation. The last shot came as a pleasant surprise to me, seeing that the Tramp kisses Georgia, albeit slightly awkward due to the circumstances. I'm not sure why Chaplin cut this from the re-edit, but I feel this film does need to have that and, of course, be completely silent. The Gold Rush is a masterpiece on many levels and has become an equal, in my eye, to his more heavy films. The story is enriched with many perspectives on comedy; the Tramp overcoming the obstacles of survival and the obstacles towards winning the hand of Georgia. He sets off to Alaska to find gold and finds a treasure far more crucial and jovial in Georgia. I marvel at the craft and perfection Chaplin infuses this film with, combining dark humor with lighthearted romance, all packed into a story of struggle against all odds. Freidrich Schiller, a German poet and philosopher, uses the phrase, 'sublime pathos,' to conceptualize such a story. Sublime pathos and poignancy dominate this brilliant piece, the film Chaplin said he would want to be remembered for.