Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Neighbors

A boy falls in love with the girl who lives on the other side of the fence of his New York City backyard. However, their hostile families prohibit them from seeing each other. What results is a sight gag filled romp as the boy attempts to court the girl despite their parents' opposition. Neighbors was one of Buster Keaton's solo films after leaving his partnership with Fatty Arbuckle, and plays off one of Keaton's favorite plots being the family feud. Neighbors is a well done slapstick that contains many wonderful stunts including a finale in which three men  stand on each others soldiers, with Keaton on top, to rescue the girl from the top floor of her home, culminating in her being in his arms on the ground level. Buster Keaton's visual stunts must be seen to be believed and his comedies, including this early short, are truly one of a kind.