Buster Keatons The Cameraman :: essays research papers

The cameraman (Rough Draft)The Cameraman (1928), an MGM Buster Keaton feature, is one of the last truly great feature records of the soundless era. From the artistic balance it finds between the simplicity of an all-too-familiar storyline and the complexity of technique and cinematography, to the very-entertaining and captivating performances of its actors, the film that was nearly lost to the annals of motion-picture history is a multi-faceted gem that is joyous to watch.Simplicity is one of the big keys to the success of The Cameraman. The guileless plot is of the age-old yet noble type (hero-sees-girl, is-knocked-off-feet, goes-to-great-lengths-to-be-noticed, realizeting-in-much-trouble-en-route). It has Buster nerve-racking to get a break as a cameraman into the newsreel segment of a famous studio (MGM, and win the affections of the office receptionist, Sally, compete by a beautiful Marceline Day. His endeavors land him in all sorts of uproarious situations, including some(prenominal) hilarious altercations with the romantic rival, a snooty made newsman played by Harry Goodwin. The thematic elements stay simple as well. barbellate with cynicism, irony rears its humorous head on more than one occasion. These bits of the film are delivered with perfect timing, laced with a little seriousness. One much(prenominal) instance is near the latter end of movie when Buster, in a daring stunt, saves Sally from drowning. He leaves her unconscious on the shore momently while he rushes into a pharmacy mere yards away to get something to help her. During those few moments, she awakens, and Busters rival, who had abandoned her to drown in order to save his own skin, happens upon her comely as she opens her eyes. She thinks he has save her from certain peril and Buster emerges from the drug store with bandages and the like just in time to see them stroll off into the sunset, arm in arm. Another such moment comes when Buster has gone through the pits and hig h water to obtain footage of a gang war deviation on in the city streets, only to find that he had never loaded film into his camera. Uncomplicated twists such as these lend to the easy, cheer watching that The Cameraman is. There is no profoundly deep symbol to be found, and the lack of any attempt at thought-provoking societal depictions really lend to a successful package. This is supposed to be comedy, and a marvelous one it is. Though simple, the plot of The Cameraman is perfectly constructed.