![]() ![]() And as Eric pointed out he manages to pack a hell of a lot of story in two reels. He was just so damn inventive with his physical comedy. The set of the backyard alley between the two buildings is brilliantly used by Keaton. In spite of these glaring racist jokes Neighbors is a masterpiece. And I’m not sure why white audiences thought it was so funny to see a terrified, wide-eyed black person reacting to what they think is a ghost but it was a common gag during the early days of movie comedy. The scene where the cop, believing Keaton to be black before Keaton cleans the dirt off his face, then simply nabs the first black man he comes across has happened in real life many times. There is a kernel of truth to it however. The racist jokes are unfortunate but they were a staple of the time era. I wonder how much rehearsal time and how many takes it took to get it on film. The scene where he stands on the shoulders of a man on the shoulders of another man is one of the most inventive and impressive gags from any silent comedy I’ve seen. He does some amazing stunts with the clothesline and climbing up the building. It showcases the best of Keaton’s talents, which were his incredible athleticism and acrobatic skills. Neighbors is the movie I would suggest to anyone to watch to introduce them to Buster Keaton and silent film comedy shorts. He even steals the minister's belt, only to discover that he can't use his belt and now both of them can't keep their pants on. He spends the entire wedding trying to keep his pants up. The funniest scene, to me, is when they are finally get married and Keaton's suspenders break. They then walk across the yards to his girlfriends house, with each one going into the corresponding windows and door of her house. They each step out and step onto each others shoulders. At one point he has a man in the first floor doorway, while another man is in the second floor window and he is on the third floor window. He uses the clothes line to slide across the property line to see his beloved. Did they ever realizes how racist these jokes were? In another scene a black woman goes all bug eyed when she thinks Keaton is a ghost.īuster Keaton climbs on the fence. The police then pursues a black man thinking that was Keaton. The policeman gives chase but loses Keaton once Keaton washes his face. When he finally gets out he accidentally hits a policeman thinking it is his neighbor's father. When the parents intercept a note they sent, a fight breaks out and Keaton ends up with his head buried in the dirt. Their parents do not like each other and have forbidden them from seeing each other. Their yard is separated by a tall wooden fence, in which the sweet hearts send love letters through to each other. Keaton and his girlfriend live in neighboring inner city houses. It has a rapid fire pace and some great physical comedy. A short film has to pack a lot of things into a little amount of time and this movie delivers. Neighbors is the perfect silent film comedy short. ![]() This is a great short to introduce someone to the magic of the silent movies. ![]()
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