Keaton’s comedy derives largely from the positioning —and constant, unexpected repositioning— of his body in space, and in architectural space particularly. Unlike other slapstick performers who relished in the close-up and detailed attention to the protagonist, Keaton frequently directed the camera to film with a wide far-shot that could contain the whole of a building’s facade or urban span within the frame. — Lapsus Lima
While few movies can be truly considered architectural, and even fewer can meaningfully activate the filmic environment through its protagonists, the silent movie era saw no better patron of the spatial arts than Buster Keaton, the creative force Roger Ebert once described as "the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."
Gifs of his battles with building façades, staircases and other architectural elements have popped up on the internet with significant fervor, and members of the architecture community have been quick to notice. An article by Will Jennings highlights the brilliance with which Keaton interacted with architecture.
"In One Week (1920)," Jennings writes, "Keaton and his new wife are given a self-build house and plot of land by his uncle: “To give this house a snappy appearance put it up according to the numbers on the boxes”, state the Portable House Co. instructions. Unbeknown to the couple, a former suitor of the bride’s rearranged the numbers of the timber packages and, over the course of the week, Keaton struggles to assemble them into a home, resulting in something more like a travelling fairground house-of-horrors than the intended finished product."
Jennings even suggests that Keaton subverted the conventions of architectural space in a manner comparable to that of the infamous artist Gordon Matta Clark. "In the 1970s, Matta-Clark took a chainsaw to unused architecture. He used it to slice through the centre of a house or to reconfigure axonometric sightlines through the floors and walls of post-industrial remains. His was a direct and physical engagement with architecture that reflects Keaton’s earlier reading of form."
3 Comments
That header GIF is fantastic. I wonder how Buster would do on The Wessel?
"One Week" is a terrific movie—thanks for the tip. YouTube has it in its entirety—22 minutes.
The design looks familiar. . . .
My wife thinks I built this.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.