Buster Keaton and comedy

I've finally been able to track down a whole mess of Buster Keaton films online (they were all right on youtube) and I think I've given it enough thought to form some ideas.

As a comedy, Sherlock Jr. is funny. It hits all the right notes, it never scales down, and its humor has obviously aged very well. Many of my favorite jokes are actually insane stunts, which are all the more amazing as it was 1924 and Michael Bay had yet to make explosions boring. The stunts and camera trickery used in the movie (namely the shifting cinema background, the shadow walking cigarette trick, the entire pool scene, and the bike chase scene) are what really make the movie timeless and entertaining. The fact that the film came out of the silent era makes its humor even more universal as only a handful of jokes make exclusive use of title slides.

As we've already discussed in class, it's almost impossible to analyze a movie without comparing it to others, which is why I'm going to bring in some of my favorite comedies (or at least funniest movies): Troll 2, Brad Neely's Harry Potter, and Anchorman as the only non-esoteric choice. If you watch those clips (or the movies they come from) you'll notice one thing in common besides the obvious addition of color and sound: escalation. As I mentioned before, Sherlock Jr. never has a moment of catharsis and always chooses to up the ante as the film goes on so as the story progresses, so does the complexity of the shots, the stunts, and the humor.

The accidental humor in Troll 2 comes from the horrible script, actors, story, and costumes that manage to keep the viewer in a suspended state of disbelief. Viewing the film is akin to watching a train wreck - the image never gets any worse but there are spikes and cringes with every scream or explosion. Feel free to provide me with a better metaphor.

Moving on to Brad Neely's Harry Potter, the adaptation's humor comes from a ridiculous deviation from what we know to be the norm, the narrator's grizzled and manic delivery, and the apparent disregard of what is actually happening on screen by Neely. The humor follows a very distinct pattern of build up and catharsis with every major scene change, which is forgivable in this case due to Neely's role as an observer. Though some jokes do manage to last for the entirety of the film (Harry's rampant alcoholism and status as a demi-god, Dumbledore's perpetual "near-dead" state, and Snape's questionable gender and sexuality), the narration is really a series of mini-stories strung together, though most impressively performed in only 2 takes.

Finally, Anchorman, as the only mainstream film on my list, follows the same pattern as pretty much every other contemporary comedy. Its humor comes from a variety of sources, from sight gags, a genuinely funny script that unfortunately falls back on frantic screaming and flailing when it fails, and, of course, satire. Unlike Neely's adaptation, which was forced to follow a roller coaster pattern of build up to punch line, Anchorman voluntarily chooses to break its humor into a series of autonomous jokes. The effectiveness of the given youtube clip in categorizing the entire movie effectively shows how each joke pretty much stands on its own bizarre nature, making the film a series of sketches held loosely together by a story.

Returning to Buster Keaton, I think what really sells this movie, besides the aforementioned escalation and pacing, is how well the story works with the humor rather than being an excuse for it. In other words, there is never a scene that simply acts as filler or was simply poorly executed. Every single shot is essential in understanding and enjoying the following and, obviously, there is no dialogue to explain what has already happened and Keaton chose to use as few title cards as possible.

It's really sad how our culture has deteriorated to the point where memes and quick burning cultural phenomena are actually encouraged. A film like Tropic Thunder, while hilarious during the first viewing, felt like a chore to watch for a second time and I'm sure the effect would only be exacerbated with more viewings. Even the most popular youtube clips (Example 1, Example 2, Example 3) are quickly forgotten within a month as the next best thing comes along. Maybe one day a new comedy will be made that will bring such joy to all the people of the world that all wars will end and mankind will enter an age of prosperity, but I wouldn't count on it.