Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Romeo and Juliet, Buster Keaton Style
A series of mishaps and confusions make for a stream--or a river--of comic laughs. For my taste, Chaplin's sentimentalism trumps Buster Keaton's supposed modernity (such is film criticism), but this is fast, funny, and even awesome at its best. Sadly, my version (streaming on Netflix) had terrible soundtrack music.
The General is a better movie, overall, if you want an introduction to Keaton, and I assume it's no coincidence that he helped write and direct that, as Chaplin did his own films. There are enough great moments here--physical slips and gags, slapstick tricks, and fast turns of event to make it funny, don't get me wrong. But the slim plot takes too long, and it lacks the gravitas or true romance (even though the romance is on the surface by fifteen minutes or so in) that comedy often really depends on.
The great hat scene near the beginning has him try on his own famous hat and reject it, probably appropriate since this is his last film where he controls the movie (before his now notorious move to MGM). And when he pulls out the giant loaf of bread in the jail it's hilarious. But beyond funny plot elements, Keaton is most important, or most fun, for his stunts, so don't let the story and the thin supporting actors drag you down before he really gets going. And I don't mean to give short shrift to the leading woman, Marion Byron, who is perky and adorable, and the perfect siren for the perky and adorable Keaton.
The ending (the last twenty minutes) is pretty astonishing stuff. The effects with the wind and collapsing buildings, and the sheer marvels of acrobatic stunts by Keaton, are a thrill. This is what made him enduring, and don't miss it.
Romeo and Juliet, Buster Keaton Style
A series of mishaps and confusions make for a stream--or a river--of comic laughs. For my taste, Chaplin's sentimentalism trumps Buster Keaton's supposed modernity (such is film criticism), but this is fast, funny, and even awesome at its best. Sadly, my version (streaming on Netflix) had terrible soundtrack music.
The General is a better movie, overall, if you want an introduction to Keaton, and I assume it's no coincidence that he helped write and direct that, as Chaplin did his own films. There are enough great moments here--physical slips and gags, slapstick tricks, and fast turns of event to make it funny, don't get me wrong. But the slim plot takes too long, and it lacks the gravitas or true romance (even though the romance is on the surface by fifteen minutes or so in) that comedy often really depends on.
The great hat scene near the beginning has him try on his own famous hat and reject it, probably appropriate since this is his last film where he controls the movie (before his now notorious move to MGM). And when he pulls out the giant loaf of bread in the jail it's hilarious. But beyond funny plot elements, Keaton is most important, or most fun, for his stunts, so don't let the story and the thin supporting actors drag you down before he really gets going. And I don't mean to give short shrift to the leading woman, Marion Byron, who is perky and adorable, and the perfect siren for the perky and adorable Keaton.
The ending (the last twenty minutes) is pretty astonishing stuff. The effects with the wind and collapsing buildings, and the sheer marvels of acrobatic stunts by Keaton, are a thrill. This is what made him enduring, and don't miss it.