Sherlock, Jr.

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Movie
German title Sherlock, Jr.
Original title Sherlock, Jr.
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1924
length 44 minutes
Age rating FSK o. A.
Rod
Director Buster Keaton
script Clyde Bruckman
Jean C. Havez
Joseph A. Mitchell
production Joseph Schenck
Buster Keaton
camera Elgin Lessley
Byron Houck
cut Buster Keaton
occupation

Sherlock, Jr. is an American silent film comedy by and with Buster Keaton from 1924. Keaton's shortest feature-length film is also considered a high point in his work. Many film critics count the film among the best comedies of all time.

action

The simple projectionist Buster lives in a quiet small town and loves a girl from the neighborhood, but also has a devious, physically superior rival. The rival steals the girl's father's watch and uses the money to give the girl a present, then blames Buster for the theft. Buster is expelled from the house by the girl's father, the girl apparently turning away from him. Buster, who would like to be a great detective and read books about it, has the rival under suspicion and wants to convict him, but he does not succeed. During a film screening he falls asleep and in his dream he gets into the shown film, where he takes on the role of the famous master detective " Sherlock Jr. ".

In his dream, the girl and her father are now millionaires in a big city whose safe was robbed by the rival that also occurs. The rival makes advances to the girl in a dream and tries to murder Sherlock Jr. by exploding billiard balls and other tricks. Sherlock Jr. can skillfully thwart all assassinations and strikes back. He pursues the rival, discovers him with his accomplices and is able to escape with the girl's precious chain. But the girl has since been kidnapped by the family's butler, the rival's accomplice (outside of the dream, a servant of the girl's family) to a small wooden hut outside of town. With the help of his assistant, Gillette (the cinema manager in real life), Sherlock Jr. start a turbulent chase on a motorcycle and free the girl from the hands of the kidnappers. The criminals are finally defeated by Buster by one of the exploding billiard balls. This is how he wins over beloved girls.

When Buster wakes up again from the dream, he is initially back in the dreary reality. However, the lover has since inquired at the pawnbroker and was able to expose the real thief of the watch. She apologizes to Buster and tells him that he is welcome back in her house. Meanwhile, Buster sees how the hero on the big screen has also solved the case and is now gradually kissing his girl. He imitates the movie hero, at least until he is seen with two babies on his lap and his wife.

Remarks

production

Buster Keaton's shortest full-length film at around 45 minutes is one of his most astonishing. With most of the action taking place in the projectionist's dream, Keaton had the opportunity to use a plethora of “impossible gags,” film tricks, and stunts that would have been hard to find in a more realistic comedy such as Our Hospitality before it. Because of its clever construction, Sherlock Jr. is one of the best films ever made by many connoisseurs. Film critics value it as a cinematic essay on the essence of cinema. At its premiere, the audience, but also some critics, were not particularly enthusiastic. Like some of Keaton's works, this is more astonishing than funny. The late reputation has Sherlock Jr. with the significantly more expensive The general public, with Sherlock Jr. grossed at least its cost of production.

Trick technique

When the dream begins, the spectator's ghostly "dream self" emerges from the sleeping projectionist, takes his hat off the hook (the real hat remains hanging, of course) and goes into the cinema. A comparatively simple double exposure is used here. The effects become much more complex shortly afterwards: In the dream, Buster jumps into the screen and thus into the scenery of the film. As a result, he is trapped in the film, as it were, when Buster's environment changes constantly in a seemingly endless sequence of cuts : from salon to entrance portal to gardens to road to mountains to jungle to desert, etc. Buster always tries to adapt to the suddenly new one Situation, but when he sits down on the garden bench, he lands roughly on the pavement, and when he jumps from a rock in the surf into the sea, he finds himself upside down in the snow. Since there was neither rear projection nor blue screen technology at the time, even experienced cameramen were puzzled about the perfection of this two-minute sequence. As Buster Keaton explained, the effect was achieved, among other things, by precisely measuring the camera distance and by using rapidly developed negatives of the last scene. A developed film frame was inserted into the viewfinder of the camera, and the cameraman was able to direct Buster Keaton's exact position accordingly.

Many of the other, most amazing effects and gags come from the repertoire of vaudeville , where Keaton worked since early childhood. For example, Buster escapes from his pursuers by jumping into a tray that his assistant Gillette - a reference to the then popular Sherlock Holmes actor William Gillette - carries. Or he disguises himself as an old woman by jumping through an open window in which the costume was prepared, which he puts on in this way.

Stunts

There is a car chase in the film in which Sherlock Jr. (Buster) sits on the steering fork of a motorcycle that is driven by his assistant. However, due to a bumpy road hollow, the driver falls from his seat and remains on the road, while Sherlock Jr., unsuspecting, races through the traffic. For the rough fall, Buster Keaton had doubled the driver, while he, who is supposed to sit on the front fork, was doubled by someone else. Another stunt turned out to be far more dangerous: Keaton saved himself from the roof of a moving train by clinging to a water crane. Buster Keaton had underestimated the power of the water, the jet of which caught him and hurled him against the tracks. He then complained of a headache. But it wasn't until decades later that a doctor would realize through X-rays that Keaton's neck was cracked.

Awards

Reviews

Although the film wasn't a huge financial hit when it was released, it became a critics favorite right from its premiere. Major US newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and the Atlanta Constitution all wrote positive reviews. Today the film is actually only rated positively by critics, Time even selected it in their list of the best 100 films of all time and wrote:

“The impeccable comedian directs an impeccable silent film comedy himself. […] Is that, as some critics have argued, an example of primitive American surrealism ? For sure. But we won't fall out about it. Rather, it is a great example of American minimalism - simple objects and movements manipulated in casual, complex ways to create an ever-increasing storm of laughter. The whole thing is only 45 minutes long, not a second of it is wasted. At a time when most comedies are completely blown without a hit, that's one of the most treasured virtues. "

- Time

"Keaton's most original and spectacular silent film comedy, at the same time one of the most successful confrontations of the film medium with itself. Very dense and captivating, with many amusing ideas and a cheerful, fantastic atmosphere."

- Lexicon of international film

“Keaton climaxed with this brilliant and hilarious story of an unfortunate projectionist […] A terrific study of film and imagination that has undoubtedly influenced countless filmmakers including Woody Allen , Jacques Rivette and even Luis Buñuel . (Rating: four out of four stars) "

- Leonard Maltin

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Richard Schickel: All Time 100 Movies - Sherlock, Jr. In: Time. January 15, 2010, accessed on November 9, 2019 (English): “The impeccable comedian directs himself in an impeccable silent comedy. [...] Is this, as some critics have argued, an example of primitive American surrealism? Sure. But let's not get fancy about it. It is more significantly, a great example of American minimalism — simple objects and movement manipulated in casually complex ways to generate a steadily rising gale of laughter. The whole thing is only 45 minutes long, not a second of which is wasted. In an age when most comedies are all windup and no punch, this is the most treasurable of virtues. "
  2. ↑ Buster Keaton - Sherlock Junior. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed November 9, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ^ Leonard Maltin : Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide . Plume, New York 2015, ISBN 978-0-14-751682-4 , pp. 619 (English): “Keaton reached his pinnacle with this brilliant and hilarious story of a hapless projectionist […] Sublime study of film and fantasy, which has undoubtedly influenced countless filmmakers such as Woody Allen, Jacques Rivette, even Buñuel.”