Movie Notes: The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush (1925)
Director: Charles Chaplin

This is a sparklingly funny, charmingly sweet film, and an absolute classic.  It's silent, of course, and watching it requires an open-mindedness to a different film language than the one to which we're accustomed to.

Still, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed by such a simple movie.  I laughed harder watching this movie the first time I ever saw it than I've ever laughed watching any other movie since.  Libby and I watched it again last weekend, and though we didn't laugh as much, we still had a good time.

One thing about Chaplin is the breadth of humanity displayed on screen through every little detail and nuance of his performance.  It's funny the way the tramp walks, charming the way he expresses so plainly his deeply felt insecurities, and genius the way that he represents us all by portraying this likable loser.

Movie Notes: The Thief of Bagdad

I've decided to use the blog to post notes about movies that we've seen.  I used to use Flixter, but that app's been totally repurposed and is no longer suitable for my casual purposes.  You can expect to see a lot of movies posted about here, but don't expect anything insightful or incisive.  The purpose is just to jot down a few thoughts about the movie after watching it in the vein of a film diary.  I find taking notes help cement the films in my memory and it's nice to have some touchstone to check back on.

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
Director: Raoul Walsh

This appears to be a pet project of Douglas Fairbanks.  He helped write, starred in, and produced the picture.  His energetic performance as the title character is certainly memorable, if dated; his wild gesticulations and stomping stride were appropriate to their time.  On the other hand, Sojin's more subtle performance as the sinister Mongol Khan is riveting even today.

Where Fairbanks excels is the physically demanding elements of his role.  He runs, jumps, swings, and swashbuckles his way through enormous sets.  It's good enough to inspire me to add his version of Robin Hood to our queue.

All in all, this film is a spectacle.  Fairbanks, gigantic detailed sets, fantastical creatures and effects, and chaste romance combine to make this a very entertaining film.  It's a bit on the long side, but I'd recommend it to fans of swashbucklers and film history.