The Gold Rush Theme

The Gold Rush directed and starring Charlie Chaplin in 1925. Many people believe that “It is the outstanding gem of all Chaplin's pictures, as it has more thought and originality than even such masterpieces of mirth as ‘The Kid’ and ‘Shoulder Arms.’”(Hall). The film was considered great on by many standards one of which was it theme. The film was “built upon the themes of enduring great hardships in pursuit of immense riches or a better life”(sierra college). And this connected greatly with the people of the time because of the ever increasing wealth and the dream of living like the rich were living at the time. “The theme of The Gold Rush is the overcoming of obstacles to get to the point for riches and a happier life. This theme can be seen …show more content…
Here is a short rundown of what happens in the movie. “The Lone Prospector, a valiant weakling, seeks fame and fortune with the sturdy men who marched across Chilkoot Pass into the great unknown in the mad rush for hidden gold in the Alaskan wilderness. Lonely, his soul fired by a great ambition, his inoffensive patience and his ill-chosen garb alike made him the target for the buffoonery of his comrades and the merciless rigors of the frozen North. Caught in a terrific blizzard, the icy clutches of the storm almost claim him when he stumbles into the cabin of Black Larsen, renegade. Larsen, unpitying, is thrusting him from the door back into the arms of death when Fate, which preserves the destinies of its simple children, appears in the person of Big Jim McKay. The storm abated, the two depart for the nearest town, and McKay to his hidden mine, the richest in Alaska. As McKay is there he gets into a fight over the location of gold. The fight lead to McKay killing a man, but in the process he is hit on the head and leads him to lose his memory about where his mine was. In the meanwhile Tramp arrives at the town, and becomes the principal amusement of the village, the bait for the practical jokers. As all of this goes on Tramp falls for the queen of the dancehall, Georgia. As the Tramp begins to win over Georgia Big Jim McKay’s memory returns and he grabs Tramp and leads him to the mine. Where they strike it …show more content…
It is a story that really connected with the times. In the 1920’s the united states was in a time of growth and wealth. Which lead to the common dream of striking it rich quick and becoming apart of the rich community. With all of this the audience really connected with Charlie Chaplin’s character. They were all able to place themselves in his shoes. And with Chaplin’s great performance he allows the audience to experience the dream that they have been wanting to have become true through their experience with the film.
It is no accident that the film connected to the people of the time. Chaplin pulled things from his life to implement into the film. Some of these correlations are the parts of the movie where people can connect the most to the character. One of these can be explained well within an article published during the times “There is more than mere laughter in "The Gold Rush." Back of it, masked by ludicrous situations, is something of the comedian's early life—the hungry days in London, the times when he was depressed by disappointments, the hopes, his loneliness and the adulation he felt for successful actors. It is told with a background of the Klondike, and one can only appreciate the true meaning of some of the incidents by translating them mentally from the various plights in which the pathetic little Lone Prospector continually finds himself. It is as much a dramatic story as a