The Gold Rush

Usually, I give out stars based on how a film affects me emotionally. Taken from this perspective, I would be more modest in giving stars to The Gold Rush. After all, Charlie Chaplin plays on compassion with the main character in a way that is too flashy for my taste. However, if one includes reason in the evaluation, it must be acknowledged that this film represents one of the peaks of the film decade at the time and still belongs to the golden treasury of world cinema. Some gags, like the visual hallucination that transforms the gold digger's companion into a tempting roast, have permeated the general consciousness. When I look back at the era of silent film, I find only a minimum number of titles that invite me to watch them again and have something to offer me. The Gold Rush is one of them. Overall impression: 85%. (04/09/2014)

Our Little Fellow, this time in Alaska. Now we get a hearty new commentary by Chaplin, his music, and a sprinkling of original direction and acting. I certainly don't feel that this is the film of my lifetime - it's enjoyable, it's playful, and I enjoy the context of the famous shoe-eating scenes and the reprise of the rolls dance, but that's about it. I'm mainly impressed with the high-fiving for how Chaplin finished and perfected his films. (16/05/2012)

Not as thematically important as The Dictator and not as entertaining and crazy as Modern Times, but still a very charming and unique movie in its own right. The vitality and sophistication of the scenes are once again breathtaking, the scene balancing on the edge of a cliff is now as legendary as Charlie himself, and the main idea, i.e. to discourage gold diggers from going to an inhospitable no-man's land where you will soon have only your own shoe for lunch, is certainly appreciated, too. But Chaplin’s peak is somewhere else. 80% (17/03/2014)

I am almost unkissed by Charliem Chaplin, so I discover him with love for what this man was capable of. He is not such a daredevil as Buster Keaton, but he is not afraid. He wanted his films to be perfect, and he succeeded. In this case, it is trick-wise absolutely unique, especially the scene with the house on the edge of the cliff. The story is also strong, hiding more than one would think. Imagine it as a real drama and you will immediately recognize that it takes an extraordinary person to entertain you with it. (04/07/2014)