There are many things which one claims to knows without really knowing it. We know famous books, famous places, and famous movies. In this list, one can also include famous people, but knowing famous people is not a privilege readily available, and not even desirable due privacy concerns. But books, places and movies are readily available, and within these three, famous books and famous movies, classics so to say, can be accessed free of charge, except, Internet charges will apply.
So, in search of variety, I chanced upon this Movie “The Gold Rush” on YouTube. (https://youtu.be/Deu7xcKy-jc) Seems to be a very clear print of a 1925 movie. Now, I know, and you too know about the movie – The Gold Rush – but have “we” seen it. I, frankly, no.
Charlie Chaplin’s short movies are huge on YouTube but there are limits to how much one can expose oneself to such incessant comic-madness and not get immune. Cake-Throwing, Kicking, Hitting, Falling, of course, the famous Charlie Chaplin’s Running entertain you but only to an extent. Finally, one craves for good old story. The Gold Rush is exactly that – a good story decently shown.
The Gold Rush – is different primarily because there are no extended and exaggerated slapsticks. These are toned down considerably.
And since overt motions are restrained, more attention is spent on capturing subtleties of expressions and one can see and guess what’s being said between characters. This means, most scenes have steadiness and poise.
There are many clever devices through which the emotion of the scenes are highlighted. Particularly the “Shoe Eating” scene. A shoe is boiled and its leather is eaten with relish, with Iron nails of the shoe picked and nibbled as if it is a Fish-Bone.
The story is less about the Gold Rush and more about predicaments of few characters in the context of Gold. The primary pursuit is for love and relationships, with winning the Gold as an add-on gift. It’s a rags to riches to winning love story.
The story is such that it got to have a happy ending, otherwise, there was no point in the Rush.
If Chaplin said that The Gold Rush was the film for which he most wanted to be remembered, then it’s an apt choice.
neerajshrivastav 