Buster Keaton 'One week' and 'The scarecrow' analysis

One week

• meaning is created in the frame itself, rather than through editing or cuts
• editing is extremely minimal, as invisible as possible, only present when completely necessary
• editing used is all for functional purposes rather than to create meaning; for example the opening shot cuts briefly to a close up of a new character before cutting to another long take of them getting in the car. so used to advance the plot rather than have an effect on how the audience view the events.
• the framing fits the size of the joke, mostly wide shots to show all the action happening, closest shot is the medium shot towards the end
• majority of, if not all Keaton's emotions and expressions are expressed through exaggerated body language and movement 
• size contrast is as a comedic effect - Keatons small stature is used to an advantage vs tall fatty man
• Keaton uses several silent comedy conventions - stuns, falls, special effects, chase sequences, set design, using mis en scene for jokes
• breaks 4th wall when hand covers leans as she's about to get out of bathtub, which is quite bold for the time; already breaking conventions and making his own rules
• throughout the story, they are equal partners who both participate in the making of their home so Keaton's portrayal of masculinity and femininity could be different than what's expected during this time era
• stunts performed, whilst extreme, are realistic in the sense that they are all carried out by Keaton himself rather than relying on editing or special effects to make them appears more impressive. For example when the ladder he is climbing comes away from the wall; his wife’s performance shows her to be shocked which furthers the realist portrayal as her reaction mirrors that of the audience.
• in the first sequence, we see a wide shot of them leaving a church after being married. Keaton uses the vignetting technique to act as a transition to the next sequence; the faded edges make the shot resemble a wedding photo. This use of editing to create meaning and provide information is an expressionistic technique.

The Scarecrow 

• Keaton maintains image of aspirational everyman as well as romantic suitor

• The sun is clearly rising at an unrealistic, and astronomically incorrect, speed thus showing that exaggerated mise-en-scene is being used to manipulate reality
• Keaton and his friend have a n excessive amount of household items in their house, this is because in this era of America, as society became more affluent, citizens became more materialistic
• Keaton and his friend eat dinner together, showing how society at the time was built around traditional family values
• The daughter’s life is controlled by her father, showing how the society at the time was very patriarchal
• there are arguably more cuts during the film than other Keaton films, these are where he has no choice but to cut as for e.g. he cannot perform the stunt in full, however cuts are still avoided where possible
• Keaton forms part of the mise – en – scene, for example, when the dog is chasing him, Keaton jumps through some windows, making the chase sequence more funny
• portrays marriage in a jokey way, audience of the time may have been shocked, seen this portrayal of marriage as a disrespect to traditional values but working class audience would have enjoyed
• two characters aspire to impress and get the approval of the woman’s father which is a depiction of the patriarchal, male dominated society that they are living in