Silent Cinema Sunday: The Blacksmith (1922)
Buster bad-lucks his way into my great-grans' heart
The Blacksmith is well loved among Buster Keaton fans, and silent film fans in general. Because it’s popular old cinema, there’s a colorized version of the 22 minute film that I’ve included at the bottom.
Silent cinema die-hards have real mixed feelings about the colorization of black and white films and I understand why. However, I have no cinematic morals about how to share films to encourage viewership. As long as the colorized process is *close enough* to an authentic representation of color hues, I’m okay with it, and I think it can help people get into silent films. If you slap an automated AI colorization on a black and white classic, I think you should be publicly flogged. You know, I’m balance on this topic.
The cover image is actually deceptive, even though it’s all over the internet connected to search of The Blacksmith. The deception is that this still didn’t end up in the final version of the movie.
Buster is the only love interest of my great-grandmother’s character, but, if you watch the movie, it makes sense why he was working on a specific car and great-gran’s horse… and now I’m wondering if there’s an alternative extended-beginning out there somewhere in the studio vaults? Who is this mysterious editing-room-floor love-interest man in the promotion photos?
Why Watch It?
The usual Buster Keaton physical comedy, especially magnetism which wasn’t well understood by the populace in the early 1920s, or even today, 100 years later… so, that’s a bit of social commentary for you to discuss with friends. And the very literal joke on a “roll in the hay” is hilarious.
Also, everyone in this film ends up wanting to beat the absolute shit out of Buster except for my great-gran. Poor, Buster, but there is a happy ending, sorry, spoiler, but usually he doesn’t get the girl or the money. There’s a happy and cute ending.
Also, you should watch it for above scene, where Virginia Fox give serious face to Buster Keaton covered in automotive grease. This is literally the face I make during every political conversation, so, now you know it runs deep in the family culture.
“As ifff.”
The ending really is endearing for a deadpan Keaton film. Let me know what you think?
Watch The Blacksmith on Youtube
Time to consume: 22 minutes