Comparison of Chaplin and Keaton - Movie Review Example

of the Visual Arts and Film Studies of the Concerned 10 December In almost every way, Chaplin and Keaton were opposites. Explain, referring to specific moments or passages as evidence. Silent films happened to one important source of entertainment in the early twentieth century. Viewers today are more used to audio-visual experience provided by contemporary cinema. Thereby, many a time they do fail to identify and appreciate the mastery of comedians who ruled the world of silent movies. In a way silent movies were limited by the fact that they lacked in audio content. Yet, at the same time they excelled in the sense that they appealed to a more diverse viewership, as they managed to bypass the language barriers. That is why many comedians of the silent era did command international following. That too in an age when there existed nothing like the million dollar promotional campaigns marking the contemporary film releases. In that context, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin happened to be two comedians who are considered to be the most important stars that ruled and shaped the silent cinema. Both these stars owed much of their popularity to their peculiar and trademark comic style and persona. In fact, the specific comic styles of these two stars happened to be so effective that they played a major role in directing and shaping the narratives, in the films they acted (Oldham 6). Both these stars well understood the strengths and limitations of the silent cinema they dominated (Oldham 6). Perhaps that is why they did make it a point to contrive a comic persona that allowed them to make the best of the cinematic genre they ruled. Still, what makes the contemporary viewers adore these two comic geniuses is the fact that both of them happened to be opposites, when one considers their comic technique and approach. This gets amply evident in the two movies, Steamboat Bill, Jr and City Lights, starring Buster Keaton and Chaplin. Many critics of silent cinema do believe that for any comedian acting in a silent movie, one’s face happened to one’s most important asset. In that sense, it is but evident that both Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were aware of this reality. Not only were they aware of it, but they did use their face to accentuate and highlight their typical comic persona. However, they way these two comedians exploited their facial expressions happened to be totally contrary. In the movie Steamboat Bill, Jr, the viewers simply cannot miss the way Buster Keaton relies on his deadpan facial expressions, and emotionless visage to define his comic appeal. For instance, at the very start of the movie, Buster Keaton presents a total contrast to his big and stodgy father, Steamboat Bill, not merely by his small physique, but also by his ludicrously flat facial expressions. The viewers simply cannot miss laughing at the comic contrast marking the father and the son. Large Steamboat Bill, bearing an irritable face, when placed against puny and clown like Buster Keaton, betraying a non-serious personality through a flat face and fixed eyes do gives way to much laughter. It is a fact that throughout the movie, Buster Keaton carries on with his deadpan expressions that evoke laughter not through abundance, but rather through a calculated withholding of emotions. In contrast, when one observes the comic style of Charlie Chaplin in City Lights, one does come across much facial versatility and variety. In City Lights Charlie Chaplin relies on a range of facial expressions to provoke laughter. For instance, when Charlie comes across the Flower Girl, he does manage to convey his initial unconcern that turns into sympathy for the blind girl by using a range of facial contortions and equally expressive eyes. This presents a 360 degree contrast to the poker face retained by Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr. Watching these two movies, ones does notice that emotionally rich and versatile face of Charlie Chaplin is so unlike the flat and unrelenting face of Keaton. The expressive face of Charlie Chaplin supports a kind of comedy that is quiet warm and provoking. In comparison, the flat and stoic face of Buster Keaton underlies a comedy that happens to be hilarious in a cool and calculated manner. Once the viewers move beyond so noticeable and different faces of the two actors in these two movies, the other aspect that differentiates them is their overall comic persona. It is a fact that both Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin happened to be gifted comedians. Both of them in all their movies showed a marked capacity for variation and variety. However, in a way the comic style of both Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin did maintain a constant persona (Bachman & Slater 152). It is the unchanging comic persona of these two actors, which largely differentiated their style. For instance, in City Lights one finds Charlie Chaplin adhering to his trademark persona of a good natured and happy go lucky tramp. As is evident, this standardized and oft repeated comic persona is defined by so typical worn out clothes, a cheap bowler hat and long, ragged shoes. The interesting thing is that this comic persona of Charlie Chaplin is not limited to facial expressions and costumes. This persona is further enriched by so noticeable bow legged walk and a tendency to come out with spontaneous body movements and gestures. To strengthen his comic persona, Charlie Chaplin relied on the standard theme of playing undergo in a majority of his movies (Huff 5). This had a psychological impact on the viewers (Huff 5). It is a fact that people do like to support a good natured underdog. For instance in the scene where the suicidal millionaire in City Lights takes Charlie Chaplin to his mansion, Charlie makes fun of the lifestyle of the rich, by presenting himself as a misfit in the rich man’s house. The typical underdog persona of Charlie Chaplin marked by his ill fitting clothes and a lack of familiarity with the luxurious décor in the millionaire’s mansion do give way to much fun and laughter. In contrast, Keaton never relied on any standard theme to define his comic persona. His comic persona was mostly defined by presentable clothes that so mismatched the typical silliness evident on an expressionless face. Keaton preferred more of a physical kind of humor that many a times relied on stunts to create laughter. Moreover, while performing these stunts, Keaton did mostly retain an expressionless and serious face. For instance the climax of Steamboat Bill, Jr, in which Keaton rescues Kitty, his father and John King by resorting to an array of stunt sequences is so typical of the comic style of Keaton. One other example is when Keaton mishandles his father‘s boat, making it to ram into King’s riverboat, causing much havoc, is again so typical of Keaton’s comic technique. In both these scenes, Keaton does maintain an unchanging flat expression, pretending as if everything happened by chance. Charlie Chaplin seldom resorted to such detached, extreme and demanding physical comedy. The one other thing that differentiates Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in City Lights and Steamboat Bill, Jr is the extent of control that the two actors exercised over the narrative and the viewers (Janik & Nelson 441). A serious analysis of City Lights does show that Charlie Chaplin exercised much stronger control over the narrative and the viewers. In contrast, Keaton comes our as a passive actor, who let the audiences decide as to the comic significance of his actions. The comic acting of Charlie Chaplin in City Lights is very engaging. Charlie thoroughly uses his costume, his facial expressions and his spontaneity to keep the audience’s attention fixed on him. He rarely allows the audience the time and the space to watch and evaluate his performance in a dethatched manner. For instance consider the scene in which Charlie rescues the suicidal millionaire from the river side. In this scene it is Charlie who makes the audience consider this otherwise grave action to be funny through his comic timing and variation. It is Charlie who makes the audience decide that this particular scene demands laughter. In comparison, irrespective of the fact that the comic style of Keaton in Steamboat Bill, Jr is marked by much physical comedy, he seldom influences the decision making capacity of the viewers in a direct way. Instead, in most of these comic sequences, he pretends himself to be as taken aback and surprised by the enormity of the situation, as the unsuspecting audience. Hence, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton happened to be totally opposite to each other. An analysis of the movies Steamboat Bill, Jr and City Lights, featuring these actors does show as to how these comedians differed with regards to their comic style and approach towards acting. Charlie Chaplin relied on a variety of facial expressions and spontaneous physical actions to create humor. His comic persona comprised of a fixed theme and getup, and he exercised a more direct and powerful control over the viewers. In contrast, the comic persona of Keaton happened to be more laid back and general, which mostly resorted to much physical comedy and control over expressions to create humor. Works Cited Bachman, Gregg, and Thomas J. Slater. American Silent Film. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002. Print. Huff, Theodore. Charlie Chaplin. New York: Henry Schuman, 1951. Print. Janik, Vicki J, and Emmanuel S Nelson. Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art and History. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Print. Oldham, Gabriella. Keaton’s Silent Shorts. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1996. Print. Read More