4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of 4 things: 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. The film, The Gold Rush directed, written, and produced by Charlie Chaplin was important part of film history. The simple silent film was able to project more then comedy relief to its audience. Underlying, was a film about social injustices and Charlie Chaplin was able to illustrate this through his portrayal of his popular and consistent character of the Tramp. To begin, it is easy to get lost in the comedy aspect of film without reading to much into the social injustices. Personally, I did not really think about until further reading into Chaplins life. He grew up poor in London, with an alcoholic father and mother who was institutionalized with mental innless. Surprisingly, these were factors that were personal to Charlie Chaplin were shown in this film. Repeatedly, heavy drinking played a large factor in the film. Chaplins charter, The Lone Prospector, him self was seen in a saloon (stealing) multiple shots from a sever. Other patrons and characters such as his love interest Georgia were seen drunk and drinking as well. I wonder if he wanted to show drinking in an ill form light, as he was stood up on New Years eve by Georgia who was shown drinking with her friends, while The Prospector sat alone in a cabin. Chaplin made the audience really emphasize with his character during the time and it really shown drinking in a negative connotation and Georgia and her tipsy friends tried to go a step

further and attempted to prank and humiliate The prospector further, however this plan failed. Another scene shows mental instability through one of the most comical scenes with the character, Big Jim McKay. The prospector and Big Jim McKay were stranded in a cabin during a bad storm with no food. Both starving, Big Jim began to hallucinate, and eventually saw The Prospector as a large chicken. He chased The Prospector around and around in attempts to eat him. The scene brought on lots of laughs but made more to be just a good comical laugh. The issue of hunger, which is an area Chaplin, was familiar with growing up because he was not wealthy. Then Big Jim hallucinating is a form of mental illness, which his mother did suffer from. Chaplin clearly wanted to address these social issues and make the audience become aware them. Chaplin just brilliantly hid the social injustices in the film through comedy.

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1)(x) I have not hand in this assignment for any

other class.

2) (x) If I reused any information from other papers I have clearly explain that in the paper.

written for other classes, I

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 use 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: Jacqueline McGrath Date: March 2, 2014