"The Balloonatic" opens with what I believe is the most beautiful shots of all Keaton's films. The short opens at "The House of Trouble" a fun house which I find amusing, among other things, at telling how less litigious early 20th century America was. Despite the rather death-defying drop as the exit, there are no mile-long warning signs, (which we in 21st America would recognize) and it apparently hasn't been closed down, or, I bet, the owner sued for incurred injuries. I also found it refreshing that for once, Buster set his romantic eye on a curvy girl instead of the svelte jazz babies he usually longs for. The rest of the story deals with Buster vs the outdoors and the heart of a fair maid and ends with a lushly, surreal romantic image.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Cops
(1922)
Film Noir and Keaton at his Existential Best
23 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
For me "Cops" is a Film Noir before the term was even created. Although not visually "dark" "Cops" certainly follows it's theme that working hard and doing good doesn't always lead to a happy ending; neither should you count on the "guardians of society" to help you - or be on your side for that matter. Basically, you're on your own. This theme starts out immediately with the quote from Houdini "Love laughs at Locksmiths" this wonderfully romantic idea that love should not be deterred by obstacles is squashed in the opening scene. Keaton appears to be in prison - but he's really outside the elaborate gates of his girlfriend's home who rejects him because he's not financially successful. while also a funny gag, the bars are a metaphor that there are all kinds of crimes and all kinds of prisons in this world. This rejection is taken as a challenge by Keaton and in most films this would be the start of an upward path to success. In "Cops" it's the opposite; no matter how much he tries to succeed, it just doesn't work (although you can argue that his startomg method may not have been the best) and leads Keaton on a path towards ruin. The highly cynical and fatalistic theme of "Cops" has generally been viewed as Keaton's reaction to what was happening to his friend Roscoe Arbuckle who also put his faith in the judicial system, the press,the Hollywood moguls, and even his fans with tragic results. The American Dream, doesn't work, the game is skewed.The original belief that hard work and talent bring success ( something that Keaton could certainly attest to ) was being eclipsed by the realization that there were those who were always out for the con and trying to make a buck without really working. Almost a century later, this theme remains remarkably current where "the smartest guys in the room" seem to always win.
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