and is turned down because the army feels he'd be much more valuable for the war effort as an engineer instead of a soldier. `The General', which is set during the Civil War, is about a train engineer named Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton, of course) who tries to enlist in the Confederate Army.
BEST OF BUSTER KEATON MOVIES MOVIE
The physical obstacles are, of course, presented by the locomotive referenced in the title, one of the all-time great movie characters, human or otherwise.ĭrew Hunt writes film-related top five lists every Sunday.Probably Buster Keaton's best film, and oddly enough, it's not even a straightforward comedy it's actually an action film, with clever doses of romance and comedy tossed in for good measure. It’s the one I most often return to, mainly because all of his greatest traits are on display: his artful merging of pathos and kinetic action, his “man-on-a-mission” narrative design, physical obstacles as playful metaphors, and so forth. The General (1927) The film most consider Keaton’s masterpiece, and for good reason. Keaton shows us how the process of creating cinema and the experience of watching cinema aren’t inextricably linked.ġ. The ingenious special effects are fine technical accomplishments, but they’re also little nuggets of film wisdom, illuminating wondrous truths about the medium.
Instinctively, Keaton understood cinema’s dreamlike nature, and explains it to great philosophical and comedic lengths in this quick little masterpiece.
The film’s refined style is what alienates the casual viewer, whereas those attuned to Keaton’s sensibilities enjoy its aerated moods.Ģ. His slapstick is particularly nuanced here, deepening the story’s classic romanticism, and he isn’t afraid to stick to a certain bit or idea longer than is expected. (1928) Like College, this is considered a minor work, though I tend to think of it as his last great film. The lunatic climax is rightly considered among the crown jewels of Keaton’s comedic set pieces, a stunningly orchestrated live-action cartoon sequence that doubles as a metaphor for unhinged feminine rage.ģ. Seven Chances (1925) Said to be the director’s least favorite of his own work, the film’s offbeat sexual energy and abstract comedy make it one of his most novel, an oddly subversive look into marriage and ambition. It’s the rare sort of ending that recasts all the preceding action in a brand new light.Ĥ.
BEST OF BUSTER KEATON MOVIES FULL
But it’s the final sequence, full of black humor and deep humanist truths, that gives the film its emotional weight. It’s his most audience-friendly film, filled with the sort of gasp-worthy stunts that made him famous. College (1927) I realize this is isn’t one of his most revered works, but there are plenty of enchanting moments to be found here. The moods and emotions conveyed resonate today just as they did in the early 20th century, a testament to Keaton’s keen understanding of the human experience.įor this top five, rather than parse through his vast filmography, I picked from 13 features he either directed or codirected between 19. All films are timeless, in a sense-they exist on the screen, not the past or present-but Keaton’s films are timeless in a different, more affecting manner. His screen presence remains one of cinema’s most poetic: the hapless everyman whose indefatigable and reckless impulsiveness remains the source of great inspiration and comedy for contemporary viewers.
His shorts and his incredible run of features during the 1920s are revelations, filled with clever social insights and, of course, an array of how-did-he-just-do-that stunt work. Few cinematic experiences are as joyous as watching Keaton’s films with fresh eyes. Yesterday, the Silent Film Society of Chicago presented a special screening of Buster Keaton’s 1928 film The Cameraman at Saint John Cantius Church, complete with organist Jay Warren’s accompaniment on the church’s vintage 1924 Wurlitzer. Best of Chicago 2022: Sports & Recreation.Best of Chicago 2022: Music & Nightlife.
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