In a comedy atmosphere, this movie, follows the struggles of the Little Tramp, who joins the gold rush, where he struggles against being trapped in a cabin, so he has to claim another character to survive.
Emotionally robust and genuinely hilarious in ways that transcend time and culture, it balances the witty and the sentimental and still finds plenty of room to inject the moments of underdog social commentary that were so crucial to Chaplin's worldview.
It shows Chaplin mixing slapstick with heartbreak like nobody else could. It's plotted in an episodic fashion, but each piece of the puzzle is also a memorable, entertaining bit in and of itself.
I prophesied that Chaplin, with his finer comedy and his less spectacular farce, would not be able to hold his popularity against it. What has happened is precisely the reverse of what I predicted.
Even with its (likely dictated) propaganda on behalf of the now-superfluous 1942 edition, this set restores a high watermark in cinematic comedy to nearly full glory.
The Gold Rush is a distinct triumph for Charlie Chaplin from both the artistic and commercial standpoints, and is a picture certain to create a veritable riot at theatre box offices.
Eighty-five years young, "The Gold Rush" is still an effective tear-jerker.
Chicago Reader
June 27, 2007
The blend of slapstick and pathos is seamless, although the cynicism of the final scene is still surprising. Chaplin's later films are quirkier and more personal, but this is quintessential Charlie, and unmissable.
When it hit cinemas in the summer of 1925, the Berlin-premiere audience applauded Chaplin's 'dance of the dinner rolls' for so long that the film was rewound and replayed, while the BBC recorded 10 straight minutes of audience laughter at one screening.
"The Gold Rush" is wonderfully charming. The comedic bits are both memorable and humorous, the score is exquisite, and it looks pretty darn great for being as old as it is. It's timeless in the sense that it'll be enjoyable now and 100 years from now.
