The Goat

A simple contrivance--the Great Stone Face is mistaken for an escaped mass murderer--gives Buster Keaton room for changes rung on a theme that will make your jaw hang. The amazing thing here is the protean story invention--Keaton uses an offhand set-up to generate every kind of reversed-expectation gag. He shortens, elongates, and crash-dives out of left field every expected joke. The astonishment here is the surrealist freeness with storytelling, not just the masterly composition and choreography. THE GOAT feels as gaily, cartwheelingly modern as UN CHIEN ANDALOU. And more than even some revered Keaton features, it's a masterpiece of invention.

Having missed out on the bread line, Buster accidentally gets his photograph taken by mistake by a man taking a photo of notorious criminal Dead Shot Dan. When Dan escapes, Buster finds himself mistakenly identified as the dangerous wanted man and even when he flees the police to another town, wanted posters are already ahead of him and he finds his troubles are only beginning.

BBC4 has just started a series with Paul Merton on silent comedy heroes and his first subject was Buster Keaton. The programme itself was an interesting mix of clips but the real gold was in the fact that it brought this short film in its entirety to primetime television (albeit on a small digital channel). The short opens with an unlikely setup but quickly gets past it by virtue of the sheer quality inherent in the comedy rather than the story-telling, which, being honest, is what we've come here for. True to form the comedy is creative and slightly surreal with a great mix of slapstick and wit. I found myself laughing out loud even though I wasn't really in the mood for comedy (I was more in the mood for Solaris, which I watched later the same evening).

Keaton is on great form and does so much while keeping a straight face; those who dismiss his performances as just falling down simply have no idea what they are talking about and I wish them well as they watch their next crude teen comedy at their multiplex. His support cast are good in regards their physical performances but some of them really overdo their face movements – not so much on the double takes (which need impact) but more on the other aspects where they appear hammy. Of course playing opposite Keaton even Mount Rushmore could be accused of overdoing the facial movements, such is his way.

Overall a great little short with an unlikely plot that is more than covered up by a hilarious and inspired onslaught of physical comedy delivered with skill, imagination and wit.

Not all, but most of this story is Buster being mistaken for "Dead Shot Dan," a notorious criminal.

There really is no story, just a series of adventures to show off Buster's physical talents, which are amazing, and his comedic timing. The 27-minute film is basically one adventure after the other mostly involving someone chasing our hero.

Earlier, it's a couple of policemen on their beats racing through the streets after Keaton and later it's "Big Joe" Roberts, a rotund cop - and father a girl Buster is interested in - who chases him. Those latter scenes were the best I thought, with a lot of clever gags involving the hotel elevator where Big Joe and his daughter live. That was Keaton at his best.

It's just a madcap half hour that makes little sense, but cares? It's Buster at his slapstick best, or near it, and so it serves its purpose: to entertain us. Just think: 85 years after this film was made there are people (like me) still discovering and enjoying these silent comedy classics! Cool!

This is an extremely funny short feature, filled with good material and executed with perfect timing. It's a fine display of Buster Keaton's comic skill, and it's also an enjoyable example of the way his characters stoically and resourcefully face the most bizarre and unexpected of developments.

The story starts with a silly mix-up (in a very clever scene that is also nicely executed) that sees Buster mistaken for notorious criminal 'Dead Shot Dan'. From then on, it is non-stop chases, stunts, and general chaos.

It's all inspired silliness, with Keaton's creativity and sense of the absurd both in full force. If you enjoy Keaton's comedies, you should love "The Goat". In fact, you have to watch it more than once to catch all of the good material, and it's just as funny the second (or third) time through.

Frequent readers of my comments know that I believe movies can change you, can hurt or build. At least I make a pretty good case when it comes to heavy films. There are some very competent ones of these, "good" by many measures... that depending on how you are building yourself should be avoided.

But what about comedy? Shouldn't it just be taken as it comes? Isn't the whole idea about the flow?

Well, I know that some films make me laugh and later feel bad about it. And some amuse in different trivial ways, But when I think of funny, real funny that lasts, its gotta be the Marxes and this guy Keaton.

This humor is physical, but instead of pain, it is based on the unexpected. Cinematic surprise. And this movie, to my mind is one of his best because he relies less on his sad character and more on the movement of the thing.

Was this the first filmmaker who mastered it all, writing, directing, editing, acting?

The thing about this is how it builds and builds. The pacing of the episodes, for sure. That doesn't seem so remarkable today. But the pacing of the stunts within that framework is remarkable in how the energy is compounded: setup, burst and faster and faster with the trigger.

Its really something to see. And at the end, after you've seen it the first time and been surprised — and laughed, then you can wonder whether comedy can be as powerful as the other film experiences. Maybe so.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.