The Gold Rush - Essay Example

In the 1925-film “The Gold Rush” which starred some of the prominent actors of the silent era namely – Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, and Tom Murray, acting tools and cinematic elements were designed to convey what seemed like a sequence of tragicomedy-bearing scenes about life in the cold state. Through the direction of Chaplin who is himself the protagonist in the film the Lone Prospector, the motion picture, as a whole, was made to depict the economic struggle taking place during the early 1900s as well as the manner in which ordinary men go an extra mile to break norms for the sake of surviving the extreme conditions of cold weather, starvation, and especially each other’s competencies at vying for the precious gold mines. Apparently, the search for gold in the silent narrative establishes the point where the conflict develops as the main characters find themselves seeking desperate means to obtain food and shelter.

Though “The Gold Rush” illustrates the serious theme with comic relief via Chaplin’s signature slapstick routine, the borrowed ‘Tramp’ character herein projects no element of formalism. The Lone Prospector remains a common-man figure yet, as may be observed frequently, it is his sense of humor and humble attitude toward life which lightens up the rather severe image of poor and rough living in an all-snow mountainous region. Details of realism are vivid in the creation of the plot as the actors portray the natural roles of men in pursuit of treasure with an approach that engages them in the course of nature instead of a heroic transformation or magical escape from reality. The realist perspective of the plot guides their actions to arrive at the turning point and settle for resolution through real unpredictable circumstances. One concrete piece of evidence would be the instance when Big Jim McKay exclaims having found gold at the onset (00:04:53) but the story proceeds into the situation where the famished McKay craves food (00:20:49) and says to his fellow “I thought you were a chicken” out of an illusion.

Life in Alaska in the first quarter of the 20th century entailed having to cope with significant crises in the economy which affected even the moral and social relations among the state inhabitants, in general. This is quite conspicuous in the unfortunate affairs which the Lone Prospector, McKay, and Black Larsen are confronted with in that, while Larsen sets off to get even in fate despite the burning cold weather, the other two have gone to the extremes of having a cooked shoe served for a Thanksgiving dinner (00:18:50). Their representational acting, in this stage, altogether appears lacking in emotional consequence or one that exhibits warm human sentiment as the film attempts to demonstrate the truth regarding pretense and suspicion which humans were disposed to behave with at such times. Nevertheless, the abrupt pace of the acts coinciding with the thematic rhythm enables the audience to perceive “The Gold Rush” under the influence of its comical effects notwithstanding a grasp of the film’s historical context by a viewer. With humor, being the principal component of the cinema piece, the economic issue loses its essence as the heavy subject as the audience becomes more drawn to recognize the filmmaker’s chief objective of structuring the story flow with comedic schemes.

By the moment the Lone Prospector parts from his temporary comrade and ventures across the icy environment, his trip leads to the Monte Carlo Dance Hall in Yukon where he is bound to meet Georgia. In the midst of the rush for gold, the man encounters the love of his life in an instant (00:31:53). Since his silent character onscreen is further silent in this portion of the film, Chaplin renders peculiar gestures in acting out the fascinated yet speechless man after the woman’s invitation to dance. He utilizes certain body language to speak of the hidden feelings via picking and keeping Georgia’s seemingly neglected photo. Moreover, when Georgia and company chance upon the new cabin where the nomadic prospector stays, Chaplin necessitates treating his character as a person who suddenly goes wild and frantic, tearing pillows, and agitating the small poorly built place of another man, as though it were his, in the utter expression of what is going on inside (00:55:00).

How one act causes the next makes a potential cinematic aspect, much as the capacity of producing appropriate gestures and expressions. When Georgia sends Jack a sorry note (1:12:00) which Jack ignores and orders to be brought to the wandering tramp who crosses path once again with McKay unexpectedly (1:14:26), the message of the letter makes an impression of hope as the old fellow insists for them to go back to the original cabin where he believes the gold must be. Discovery at the moment comes after the raging snowstorm takes their cabin to the edge of the cliff, the extent to which the strength of companionship is tested prior to the revelation of the spot of fortune. In the end, however, there emerges a juxtaposition between the worth of material riches and the worth of love so that on performing an act of recollection, the leading actor occurs to encourage the audience to reflect on the thought “Everything but Georgia” (1:29:59).