--- title: "The Gold Rush: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-gold-rush/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-gold-rush" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Gold Rush (1925): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Gold Rush, with praise clustering around Chaplin’s physical comedy and his ability to make hunger and loneliness funny without dismissing either. The boot banquet, bread roll dance and teetering cabin recur as examples of carefully worked comic invention. Several reviews find the melancholy just as important as the slapstick, singling out Chaplin’s expressive use of space and the New Year’s Eve sequence for the strength of their feeling. The differences are chiefly in the degree of enthusiasm, rather than any sustained case against the film. Slant Magazine finds stretches slack but admires the romantic emotion, while Collider’s preference for Keaton and Lloyd does not prevent it finding Chaplin charming, funny and poignant. The accessible verdicts range from appreciative to emphatic praise; two entries lack accessible judgements, so they provide no firm evidence of further reservations. ## IndieWire — Max O'Connell Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 4 February 2015. O’Connell presents the film as a hilarious, enduring masterpiece that balances comedy with loneliness and longing. He particularly praises Chaplin’s expressive use of space and the emotional force of the New Year’s Eve sequence. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/criticwire-classic-of-the-week-charlie-chaplins-the-gold-rush-124980/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — ANDRÉ DIDYME-DÔME Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2025. The critic calls the film a masterful, deeply human work that turns hardship into tender, ingenious comedy. The review singles out the boot banquet and roll dance as memorable scenes blending physical humor with melancholy. [Read the review](https://es.hollywoodreporter.com/critica-la-quimera-del-oro-the-gold-rush/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 1925. The review calls the film a triumph and the greatest comedy ever filmed. It especially praises the comic sequence with Chaplin and Swain in the teetering cabin. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1925/film/reviews/the-gold-rush-1200409632/) ## Empire — Scott Russon Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The review finds the film’s lasting appeal easy to understand. It praises the hungry boot-boiling scene and the bread roll dance as memorable comic moments. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/gold-rush-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Rating 3/4. 20 December 2011. Christley finds the film occasionally slack but ultimately sublime in its grand romantic emotion. He singles out the scene of the Tramp listening alone to “Auld Lang Syne” as a perfect moment. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-gold-rush/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2012. Brody offers an appreciative reading of the film and its contrasting 1942 sound version. He singles out Chaplin’s memorable comic set pieces and the later version’s revealing shift in tone. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/07/09/rush-history) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 1942. The article appears to review Chaplin’s re-release of The Gold Rush, but its verdict is unavailable. The page content could not be accessed, so no specific praise or complaint can be identified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1942/04/20/archives/the-screen-in-review-charlie-chaplins-memorable-gold-rush-made-in.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page identifies this as a review, but the critic’s verdict is not accessible. The available description outlines the plot without singling out any element for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-gold-rush-2) ## Collider — Dave Trumbore Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2016. Trumbore finds the film charming and funny, despite preferring Keaton and Lloyd’s humor. He singles out Chaplin’s practiced antics and the poignant New Year’s Eve dream sequence. [Read the review](https://collider.com/edgar-wright-favorite-movies-gold-rush/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-gold-rush.md