Overview
A charming prospector's quest for gold leads to unexpected adventures and romance in the wilds of Alaska.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- warm
- wistful
- classic cinema night
- family viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an ambitious, brilliantly constructed silent comedy whose iconic slapstick is integrated with character-driven pathos and romance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chaplin builds celebrated sequences around eating a shoe, the dance of the rolls, the teetering cabin, and the Lone Prospector's body language.
The prospector and other gold seekers face hunger, cold, isolation, and competition while sharing or fighting over scarce food and shelter.
The log cabin's dangerous position on the mountain edge transforms ordinary movement into repeated comic peril.
The Lone Prospector uses his singular charm and determined efforts to win Georgia's heart despite poverty and social awkwardness.
Films like The Gold Rush, and why
the kid
shared silent-era physical comedy, social satire, romantic tenderness, and an outsider protagonist navigating hardship
modern times
shared charlie chaplin slapstick, pathos, working-class survival, and comic visual invention
safety last!
shared silent comedy, resourceful underdogs, physical gags, and romance amid social hardship
the general
shared wilderness adventure, survival comedy, eccentric characters, and an ultimately warm emotional register
Movie Details
- Director
- Charlie Chaplin
- Release Date
- 1925-07-13
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (1908)
Cast
- Charlie Chaplin
- Mack Swain
- Tom Murray
- Henry Bergman
- Malcolm Waite
- Georgia Hale
- Jack Adams
- Frank Aderias
- Leona Aderias
- Lillian Adrian
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, History Vault, Eternal Family, HBO Max, FilmBox Live Amazon Channel, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Gold Rush about?
- A solitary gold seeker battles hunger, danger, and social awkwardness while chasing fortune and Georgia’s affection in Chaplin’s snowbound silent comedy.
- What is The Gold Rush like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Gold Rush as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Gold Rush violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Gold Rush as mild.
- What did critics think of The Gold Rush?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an ambitious, brilliantly constructed silent comedy whose iconic slapstick is integrated with character-driven pathos and romance.
- Which films are like The Gold Rush?
- Films with a similar feel include the kid, modern times, safety last!, and the general.
- How long is The Gold Rush?
- The Gold Rush runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Gold Rush?
- In United States, The Gold Rush streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, History Vault, Eternal Family, HBO Max, FilmBox Live Amazon Channel, Artiflix.
