The Gold Rush (1925) was a film starting Charlie Chaplin. It’s is a silent film in which Chaplin stars as his iconic character The Tramp. His character is a prospector that wanders off by himself during the gold rush in hopes to find his own gold. During his time alone a snow storm strands him in a cabin that’s already occupied by another prospector and a fugitive.
Not only does the film star Charlie Chaplin but he wrote the screenplay, wrote the music, produced the film, and edited it himself, making him a true auteur director. At the time Chaplin was one of the highest paid actors around. In 1919 he, along with 3 other filmmakers, created United Artists pictures to distribute their own films. Chaplin created The Gold Rush and released it in 1925. Years later in 1942 Chaplin re-released the film with a newly re-mastered musical score as well as a narration done over the original films title card scenes which Chaplin recorded himself. Chaplin’s new version of the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Recording.
Not only does the film star Charlie Chaplin but he wrote the screenplay, wrote the music, produced the film, and edited it himself, making him a true auteur director. At the time Chaplin was one of the highest paid actors around. In 1919 he, along with 3 other filmmakers, created United Artists pictures to distribute their own films. Chaplin created The Gold Rush and released it in 1925. Years later in 1942 Chaplin re-released the film with a newly re-mastered musical score as well as a narration done over the original films title card scenes which Chaplin recorded himself. Chaplin’s new version of the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Recording.
The Gold Rush was the first silent film that I’ve watched in its entirety. I was surprised at how well done it was for it time. The effects in the scene at the end of the film where Chaplin’s character and the prospector are in the house that is hanging over the cliff really surprised me, I did not expect a film from that time to have a scene that would look as good as it did. Besides that the main thing that really impressed me was the fact that Charlie Chaplin created everything about the entire film. To be an auteur filmmaker is not an easy feat. I imagine that he wrote, acted in, edited, composed and produced his films because he has a vision and idea in his mind that only he was able to create on film, which is something no one else can do today.
