A Film Education: Introduction

Being a lifelong movie buff, I decided to rip myself away from the siren call of my DVD of Dumb and Dumber and go about the business of seeing all those movies critics and sophisticated types talk about. I will not read reviews of the films before I watch them so I can offer a completely unbiased opinion, and so I will not be influenced by the need to appeal to teacup sipping types who never leave the house without their monocles and top hats. I will however use the various lists from the good people at the AFI as my jumping off point. So today the inaugural entry on my Film education is a silent film, Charlie Chaplin's: The Gold Rush.



Why did I chose this? Well it just happens that was what was in my Netflix Queue.
To be entirely honest, I ordered the silent film but when i opened my anticipated red envelope i was greeted by sound, music, and words. I was sent the 1941 revival version with narration by Chaplin himself and a very loud music score.

The story is a simple one. Chaplin is in his little tramp getup of bowler, mustache, wobbly walk and cane and he's inexplicably prospecting for gold in Alaska without a coat.
There's a love story, and some nefarious dealings with a bandit.
But what strikes me most is the still potent slapstick comedy in the film.
There's some very funny sequences with two men struggling for a gun and Chaplin struggling to stay out of the way.
And some mildly amusing fun with two forks and some dinner rolls.
It made me think of some of the great comedy of the three stooges if the stooges ever attempted to court respectability and replace their bonks, screeches, and sointenlys with classical music and an upscale education.

I can't say the story kept me riveted though. In between the amusing silent manic sequences, there's a lot of filler. And the film feels long even at 69 minutes.
It could have been done in a three stooges length short and it would be a lot better.

I've also devised a rating system for this project.
Overrated: for films that don't deserve their lofty places
Underrated: for films that should be ranked higher
Just Right: These movies deserve to stay just where they are.

As for "The Gold Rush:"

Overrated