1) Relate
what was discussed in class or the text to the screening
Charlie
Chaplin was a true testament of an era that has been called by many as the
“Golden era” of film. In a time
where American culture was changing everyday, where the way movies were seen
was changing. Many were going to
movie theaters to watch these comedy movies as an escape from their daily life,
a life of stress and money problems because of the hard times in the
depression. Chaplin’s films were the
American publics way to laugh at their own issues. In the early
stages of film there was no color, no dialogue, and sometimes not even a
script, just the action and a story.
In the beginning of film, comedies were
the popular genre of films. So it
would explain why most of the movies, actors and film companies during that
time liked to focus mainly on comedies.
Comedy film stars made a lot of money because a lot of people loved
coming to see comedies to distract them from their daily stresses. Charlie Chaplin stood out among other
stars and was the most beloved of the early film stars of the 1900s. Within a couple of years Chaplin was
the best paid film star in the world as well as being the most famous movie
star in the world. The Gold Rush
was a comedic movie that not only made you laugh but also brought light to some
issues that many Americans were dealing with at home, as well teach you a
history lesson of the actual Gold Rush.
Most of the films during that era were meant to entertain but most of
Chaplin’s films had a message, sometimes a crucial social message that he
wanted the American public to understand.
The film dealt with issues like that related to hard-working middle to
lower class of America. Opening to
critical acclaim The Gold Rush went
on to make millions in a time where America was going through a tough economic
stage.
The
Gold Rush was a movie
that was perfect for its time. A
comedy movie that at times was driven by emotion, the same emotion that most of
the American people were feeling at the time. It was a movie made for its time and it had lived past that
age and has become a classic, a comedic classic.
2) Find a related
article (on the
film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content. You
may use the library or the Internet.
The
legacy of Chaplin is prevalent in any course of film history that any student
can take. In the article SuperTramp: The Enduring Legacy of Charlie
Chaplin by Nicole Gagne, she states “Chaplin has become an icon not of
silent comedy but of all comedy; not of Hollywood but of all filmmaking.”
(Gagne, 2011) The article talks
about much of the films released in the early history of American film and how
each of the giants of that era are looked at today. And compares them to the legacy of Chaplin and how he has
become one of the most recognizable figures in film of all time.
The
article takes a look at Chaplin as a symbol for the silent era of film, “Chaplin’s
funniest, most touching, and most profound achievements in silent comedy”
(Gagne, 2011) and again saying “Chaplin stands alone is in the unprecedented
impact of his work, which remains without equal in the history of
cinema”(Gagne, 2011).
For most of the article Gagne states the
importance of the Chaplin legacy with the character he created of the “Little
Tramp”. The character of the
little tramp was seen everywhere.
IN every movie the little tramp was the underdog who as much as he tried
could not win, until of course in the end. Even if one does not know who the Charlie Chaplin is
they know the little tramp. A
photograph of the Little Tramp is still recognizable virtually everywhere in
the world, almost 100 years after Chaplin first stepped in front of a camera. Gagne’s
point in the article, “Chaplin’s films remain the flat-out funniest and most
universal body of work in cinema” (Gagne, 2011). With his many films and his
critical acclaim as being one of the funniest filmmakers in history of film
garner Charles Chaplin the title of
“greatest comedian — and actor and filmmaker — of them all.” (Gagne,
2011)
3)
Apply the article to the film screened
in class. How did the article support or change the way you thought
about the film, director, content, etc.?
The
article only supported my feeling on Charlie Chaplin. I had not seen The
Gold Rush prior to the screening in class but I did have very favorable
opinions of Charlie Chaplin. I
thought that his way of creating a message through humor was superb. At times you didn’t know there was a
message because you are too busy laughing but somehow you understand what he is
trying to say. The Gold Rush was released during
Chaplin’s peak of world fame. And
is also considered by critics and himself one of his bests works.
The
comedic gags didn’t need dialogue, there was no thought process behind it, they
were just simple comedic gags.
Gags that made you laugh but overall the entire message of the movie
does make you think. The Gold Rush deals with poverty and
what many miners had to deal with when they went to mine for gold. The article kind of put Chaplin’s
legacy in perspective with the film, I have heard a lot of Chaplin and had
watched a couple of scenes and he was funny, but after watching the film it
shows. And some scenes like the
chasing scene between Big Jim and the Little Tramp is just a classic scene and
its just funny. And completely
agree with calling Chaplin one of the greatest comedians and filmmakers of all
time.
4)
Write a critical analysis of the
film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the
screening, class discussions, text material and the article. I
am less interested in whether you liked or disliked a film, (although that can
be part of this) than I am in your understanding of its place in film
history or the contributions of the director.
Overall
I think the film was phenomenal.
In today’s era of film there are so many special effects and sometimes
you have to play so close attention if not you won’t understand the movie that
watching a simple film with simple comedic gags is so refreshing. During the time that this film was
released was at a time where the film industry was still growing and the
economic situation was not ideal for America. Many were going to the movie theaters just to escape the
harshness of they daily lives.
They would go to laugh and enjoy the movie.
The
movie also deals with an actual historical topic, the Gold Rush that happened
in the late 19th century where many men in a way to make more money
would go to the top of mountains in the west to mine for gold. Many men died in their journey to the
top of the mountains and Chaplin referred to that in the film.
The
film is also a reference to the way film was growing during that time. The black and white silent films of
that era began to create plots and started to get longer. In the beginning of film these films
would be very short and would just show small or minor activities but as Chaplin
and other filmmakers began to study film more they began to include film as a
form of storytelling. So they
began telling stories through moving pictures and without sound or dialogue they
were able to create and ambiance and understanding of the film was trying to
tell.
In
my opinion The Gold Rush is an
amazing classic film. It is funny.
While watching it you forget where you are and you are trapped in the movie and
you are just in it. It is funny
because it is simple. The simplicity of Chaplin’s films are what makes them
such great films, and makes him such a great filmmaker.
Works Cited:
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM
1) ( x ) I have not handed in
this assignment for any other class.
2) ( x ) If I reused any information
from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in
the paper.
3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put
quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the
text.
4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources
cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
5) (x ) I have cited
in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) ( x ) I have
used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another
way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) ( x) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation
or originality.
8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have
been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
Name: _________________Juan Ortiz_____________________ Date:
______2/17/14____________
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