Review of Film (1965) by Matt G — 30 Jul 2007

I finally found this on YouTube about 6 months ago, and while I'd like to say I was disappointed, I didn't start with high hopes to begin with. The lack of sound reveals a lack of understanding regarding silent films, which were actually aided by the use of music and sometimes live sound effects.

As an art film, I found it lacking, and I think Beckett's kind of vision is more suited to theatre and literature. The director lacks any vision to make it deeply engaging. And then there's Buster, who had seen better years, but still had enough vestiges of talent to carry a gag.

Without a real story or gag to hook him, he flounders. It's clear that he doesn't get the material, and neither Beckett or Schneider really get him. This is mostly worth seeing as an experiment in translating Beckett to screen and for those Buster fans curious about his later career.