I adored Chaplin's The Gold Rush the first time I saw it, taking to its deft comic staging and its occasional, well-judged sentimentality. Rewatching it, however, I was struck by its depth of vision, with every gag, no matter how seemingly disconnected, perfectly entwined with the narrative and, more importantly, the psychological development. This is the richest depiction of the Tramp ever filmed, one that encapsulates his buried cynicism, innocent material and romantic desire, and often-thwarted but ultimately fulfilled hope. It's also absolutely hysterical. One of the best films of the silent era, or any era, comic or otherwise.
My full piece is up now at Spectrum Culture.
Chaplin just rocks! He is my all time favorite, and will be.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! Stop by soon to see another post appreciative of his genius.
DeleteYour first paragraph has got me hooked -- I believe this is on Hulu Plus.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam. And yeah, it and all Chaplin features save his last are on Hulu+ and should all eventually receive Criterion DVD/Blus (I recommend getting the new Blu-Ray of it now while the B&N sale is still on!).
DeleteI actually binged on all of them recently. Will start my favorite directors pieces tomorrow with a ranking of his full-length films, in fact.