Silents, Please! STL has saved the best for the last of 2021! Bring the family for two of the greatest films ever made: Keaton's SHERLOCK, JR (1924) and Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS (1931)
Widely regarded as a masterpiece of the silent era, Buster Keaton’s SHERLOCK JR packs a lot into its 46-minute run time. On the surface, we have a story of a young man who works as a film projectionist, who aspires to be a detective – but, as the film progresses, we are invited into Keaton’s conflicts and fantasies via cinematic dream content. Keaton masterfully utilizes cinematic technique, filmic language, and physical skill to engage the viewer as both observer and observed. Sherlock Jr is sentimental without stickiness and comedic without farce. This is pure Keaton, at the top of his game.
CITY LIGHTS, considered one of the greatest films of all time certainly has maybe the greatest final shot of all time. Slavoj Zizek once said, "CITY LIGHTS is too sophisticated for the sophisticated." On the surface, this is a simple story -- but, peel back the layers it is a foundationally human story of love, connection, and being truly seen.