The Boat (1921) :
Brief Review -
The Boat of Buster Keaton's Comedy sails on adventurous voyage. Looking at this film from contemporary point of view one must have enjoyed it a lot, that includes me. But Keaton's raising graph wasn't affected by it. That's good and bad both. Good because it didn't fall and bad because it didn't rise when people were expecting him to deliver sensational stuff with every film. Practically it wasn't possible because all the innovative ideas were used and anyhow some of films were meant to be hurt by it. From this point of view, The Boat is one of those hurt films but keeping Keaton's high standard aside, this one is as good as any other good comedy of that time. His 'One Week' was such an astonishing experience that the impact has stayed with me and will stay with me forever. The Boat is nothing like that but a fair, actually very good one. It has different adventures, different proportions so it shouldn't be judged by comparison with One Week. If one has to compare it then compare it with 'The Playhouse' which released in the same year and to me this comparison looks fine. Buster and his family go on a voyage on his homemade boat that proves to be one disaster after another. This has some great shots, i mean some real great. That boat flipping scene is shot so brilliantly. An impressive piece of cinematic genius. One must know how to shoot it, how to flip camera and how to make movements according to that and Keaton as a director (along with Edward F. Cline) and as an actor knew exactly what to. That one scene takes this film so High even though it doesn't have too many gags. It's more like an adventurous and genuinely funny ride than a hysterical, out-an-out comedy. Keaton and Cline make sure that they don't produce an underwhelming product. Yes, this one is Nice and extremely watchable.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The Boat of Buster Keaton's Comedy sails on adventurous voyage. Looking at this film from contemporary point of view one must have enjoyed it a lot, that includes me. But Keaton's raising graph wasn't affected by it. That's good and bad both. Good because it didn't fall and bad because it didn't rise when people were expecting him to deliver sensational stuff with every film. Practically it wasn't possible because all the innovative ideas were used and anyhow some of films were meant to be hurt by it. From this point of view, The Boat is one of those hurt films but keeping Keaton's high standard aside, this one is as good as any other good comedy of that time. His 'One Week' was such an astonishing experience that the impact has stayed with me and will stay with me forever. The Boat is nothing like that but a fair, actually very good one. It has different adventures, different proportions so it shouldn't be judged by comparison with One Week. If one has to compare it then compare it with 'The Playhouse' which released in the same year and to me this comparison looks fine. Buster and his family go on a voyage on his homemade boat that proves to be one disaster after another. This has some great shots, i mean some real great. That boat flipping scene is shot so brilliantly. An impressive piece of cinematic genius. One must know how to shoot it, how to flip camera and how to make movements according to that and Keaton as a director (along with Edward F. Cline) and as an actor knew exactly what to. That one scene takes this film so High even though it doesn't have too many gags. It's more like an adventurous and genuinely funny ride than a hysterical, out-an-out comedy. Keaton and Cline make sure that they don't produce an underwhelming product. Yes, this one is Nice and extremely watchable.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.