Charlie Chaplin (1951)

Record Details:

Title:
Charlie Chaplin
Date:
1951
Publisher:
New York : Henry Schuman, Inc.
Volume:
Charlie Chaplin
Leaf #:
000255
Language:
English
Collection:
Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library
Sponsor:
{"Media History Digital Library","Richard Koszarski","Jeff Joseph"}
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Date Added:
March 21, 2024
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X X I "The Gold Rush" "The Gold Rush" is probably Chaplin's most celebrated picture. For many years it was considered his masterwork, although some preferred "Shoulder Arms." Chaplin himself characterized "The Gold Rush" as "the picture I want to be remembered by." In part a satire on Far Northern yarns and an ironic commentary on man's greed, "The Gold Rush," subtitled "a dramatic comedy," is also a portrayal of human suffering and frustrated hopes. The Donner party disaster, with its hint of cannibalism, was its gruesome inspiration. Its realistic plot is episodic in form, each well-constructed sequence containing "O. Henry twists." Chaplin again put something more into the film than comedy. It plumbs profound depths of pathos. Its laughs, drawn out of tragedy, have a magnified force and meaning. Its principal character symbolizes the good, kind, and pitiful core of humanity. Moments of the film reach the sublime. In "The Gold Rush" Chaplin portrays a hard-luck prospector who chases rainbows of the heart and soul in the midst of frenzied gold-seekers. His pantomime is more subtle and effective than ever. With his back to the camera, in the dancehall sequence, he expresses more with his shoulders than many actors with their eyes and mouth. A mere wistful raising of his eyebrows or a touch of his derby can carry an amazing change of emotion.