Buster Keaton was ofter considered as one of the famous comedians of the silent film genre. Keaton was iconically involved with physical comedy, of which , Charlie Chaplin was mainly involved. Keaton was renowned for his deadpan facial expression, though entertained the masses through his ludicrous antics. As well as his acting career, Keaton was also famed as a director, as he was acclaimed as the seventh greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. A 2002 poll by Sight and Sound magazine voted Keaton's 'The General' as the 15th best film of all time.
This clip from Keaton's film 'Sherlock Jr' (1924) features Keaton as a projectionist who falls in love with a lady. When he proposes to her, his rival steals the lady's watch and frames him in the process. Whilst projecting a film, he reminisces of his love to be a detective. Through, the lady discovers the truth and seeks to free the projectionist.
The film follows the generic conventions of early silent comedy, as most of the emphasis is on actions and accidents. By showing physical comedy, the audience can be considered as sadistic and can gain gratifications from watching Keaton getting hurt. Though, this film uses titles conveying written dialogue, as evident with the lady in the shop, thus making the audience identify with the plot. Another such convention in the film is the use of contrapuntal and parallel sound of percussion instruments. By using this music, dramatic tension and suspense is created, whilst at the same time being entertaining.
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