23. Mai: College (silent movie with live music, Garching)

College

USA (1927)


Stummfilm 1,37:1
Regie: James W. Horne, Buster Keaton
Schauspieler: Buster Keaton, Anne Cornwall, Flora Bramley
66 Minuten
The curse of the athlete - most brilliant scholar

Ronald is a bibliomanic, more interested in studies than sports. No wonder he doesn't go down well with the object of his fantasies, Mary Haynes. She is the most popular girl at grammar school and the girlfriend of athlete Jeff Brown. After graduation, the three of them find themselves at Clayton College. Ronald stubbornly tries to stand out as a good athlete and win Mary's heart, yet he fails miserably in baseball, pole vaulting and weight throwing. But untapped powers are waiting to reveal themselves.

Silent movies are at the beginning of film history, the era of movie before sound could be recorded. Without dialog or sound, silent movies relied on the art of visual storytelling, actors' facial expressions and gestures, and impressive sets and special effects to bring stories to life. The lack of sound is compenensated by a musical performance of a talented live pianist that accompanies the performance, capturing the mood of the movie and enhancing the emotions, making each performance a unique experience.

Buster on the playing field, failing gloriously at every sport but executing each one beautifully when he dashes to his girl's rescue, is a study in precision and grace. (Don Druker - Chicago Reader)