[Silent Film Marathon] 13# Sherlock Jr. (1924)

My Rating: 8/10

Directed by: Buster Keaton

Written by:  Clyde Bruckman, Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell

Genre: Comedy, Family

Runtime: 45 minutes

Like many of Keaton’s classics, ‘Sherlock Jr.’ shows a lot of well-coordinated slapstick humour alongside the athletically funny ability from Keaton himself. Though this is my second viewing of a Keaton film, it seems his films are beginning to grow on me. Sherlock Jr. is very clever and has a great entertainment value. With a runtime of only 45 minutes it’s very much worth it in this frantic little detective film. Not only do I feel that Keaton is a man who knew the business of comedy well, but I also feel he is a great stunt performer. Practically putting his life at risk he comes through to entertain the audience with his clever and inventive stunts featured in this film, and The General as I have seen. This may not stand among the greatest comedies of all time, but as a 4 to 5 reel short film, it’s a grand 45 minutes of silent gold.

Plot:

Our story meets a young man (Keaton) who currently works at a movie theatre while also studying how to be a detective. He is a cinema projectionist who dreams of being a famous detective, like Sherlock Holmes and is in love with a beautiful girl (Kathryn McGuire). He presents her with chocolates and a ring, but another suitor (Ward Crane) also vies for her affections. The projectionist unsuccessfully tails his romantic rival, a deceitful sort who has stolen a watch from the girl's home and pawned it to buy her a larger box of candy. Falsely accused of the crime by his girlfriend's family, the heartbroken young man falls asleep at work while exhibiting a movie. We then take a trip into his dream where he dreams of himself walking into the cinema screen and becoming Sherlock Jr., unravelling a case.

Keaton as a comedic pioneer in some ways

It is clear to understand that talented Mr. Keaton is a pioneer of slapstick comedy and his ways would soon be followed. Like several comedians such as Chaplin, Stanley Laurel and even Oliver Hardy, he plays like a clown, but a clown with sophistication. Playing a simplistic character who yearns for love of a woman, he dreams a dream where he becomes the world’s greatest detective, and when he awakens he gets the girl. It’s a story where the characters depth is not really required, it is hard to explain but for a 45 minute short film the film stays at the basics of character and letting us focus on the comedy. After seeing this I will be sure to check out more of Keaton’s comedic work, and anything else he has done as I feel he is among the great comedy performers, writers and directors during this era. Alongside the great comedy antics, the music like many silent comedy films went well with the scenes.

Keaton performing one of his own stunts.

Overall:

It’s an enjoyable experience at that, which will leave you laughing. It’s great humour because anyone can relate to the silly antics, unlike today’s washed up humour where celebrities are spoofed. I shall not give an example as I’m sure some spring to mind for you. With great slapstick and an entertaining story, Sherlock Jr is a fine piece of comedy work from Keaton and should be remembered.

Ratings:

Screenplay/Story: 8.2/10

Characters: 8/10

Emotion: 7.4/10

Visuals & Editing: 7.6/10

Direction & cinematography: 8.1/10

Music: 7.7/10

Overall: 8.1/10

[Silent Film Marathon] 6# The General (1927)

My Rating: 8/10

Directed by: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton

Screenplay by: Al Boasberg , Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 75 Minutes

I have to write this review again as after my second viewing, I feel that the film is very genius and is among the great comedies of the silent era. Now I understand why people love this one so much. The General is extremely clever as it follow a locomotive chase and starring Keaton himself; he did an excellent job with his terrific slapstick and athletic ability. Much like Chaplin, it is clear that Keaton is also one of the geniuses of comedy and here is a film that says that to an extent. Featured in many top 100 silent comedy lists and at the number one spot in one I saw, The General is a clever comedy classic. Many praise this films surprising antics, and very clever slapstick humour, and right they are. I may not like it as much as some, but after my second viewing  I agree that it is a brilliant comedy film.

Plot:

It is 1861 and Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is in Marietta, Georgia to see one of the two loves of his life, his fiancée Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) (the other being his locomotive, the "General"), when the American Civil War breaks out. He hurries to be first in line to sign up with the Confederate Army, but is rejected (without explanation) because he is too valuable to the Confederacy in his present job. He comes home to find his wife won’t speak to him until he is in uniform as the two guys he signs up with said he didn't even get in line. Apart for a year we meet Johnnie again working on a train and he bumps in to Annabelle, who still wants nothing to do with Johnnie. She hops on the train to meet her wounded father and the train stops for the passengers to get something to eat. During this time enemy spies steal the train and Johnnie tries to catch the train. From this point on it’s a huge locomotive chase full of great slapstick and clever humour.

Johnnie going after the train.

Another great piece of comedy

Keaton is a talented comedian as he is a stunt man. The film has plenty of moments where our character Johnnie could have easily been killed, but Keaton pulls it off by clever ad inventive situations. Right in the centre of chaos, Johnnie manages to pull through throughout all the situations that happen and the film is very funny no doubt. Many of the scenes in the film were terrifically inventive. One of the most memorable scenes is when Johnnie is on the front of the train and he knocks the block of wood of the tracks with the block of wood he was holding. It was cleverly funny and everything that happened on the locomotive was wild, frantic and most of all, dangerously funny.  Eventually on the journey Johnnie discovers that the enemy have his love interest and soon rescues her. So alongside Johnny is his female love life for a very wild locomotive journey. Johnny is a character whose two life interests are locomotives, and Annabelle who towards the end of the story shows to be a loving, clever and sweet guy. 

One of the film's hilarious moments.

Overall:

Thanks to me like Keaton, Chaplin and all those other early comedians, we have comedy like it is today. So this like many of the comedy classics of the silent era, are responsible fo the birth of comedy. Keaton was great creating the centre of chaos in the story with his character who cleverly wins at what he is doing, but by luck. The train's obvious limitations provide him with ideas. An entire Southern retreat and Northern advance take place unnoticed behind him, while he chops wood. It’s a terrifically inventive film that sits well next to the greatest comedies of all time. Overall it is a divine silent comedy as silent comedies come and is one exciting locomotive chase.

Ratings:

Screenplay/Story:8.6/10

Characters: 8.5/10

Emotion: 7.5/10

Visuals & Editing: 7.6/10

Direction & Cinematography: 8.7/10

Music: 7.4/10

Overall: 8.5/10