The Cultures Of American Film: Buster Keaton And Charlie Chaplin

Chapter five of The Cultures of American Film discusses the history of silent comedy. It focuses mainly on two of the most important actors of this gene: Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin. They both starred in countless films within the silent film genre and changed the way we looked at them forever.
Buster Keaton starred in many slapstick comedies. His films relied on seemingly unstoppable movement and the rush through various landscapes. In the film, Seven Chances, Keaton is left a small fortune, and they only way for him to receive this money is to get married by the end of the day. Eventually, after a long day of rejection, Keaton puts an ad in the paper looking for a wife. He waits in a church and eventually falls asleep in there. He
None of these actors came close to the popularity of Charlie Chaplin. Like Buster Keaton, Chaplin starred in countless films during his career. He was beloved by almost everyone in all social classes. He was from Britain and when he came to the United States, he was discovered by Mack Sennett. He started out being the second fiddle in the film Tillie’s Punctured Romance, and he was a hit immediately with the fans despite his lesser role in the film. Eventually, he started starring in films and his popularity skyrocketed. Some of his critics thought his films were “too vulgar,” but Charlie was generally loved. In Chaplin's, The Tramp, Chaplin was the first slapstick comedian to show pain. This was unusual because slapstick comedians typically did not show pain after getting hit. Chaplin also used the art of pathos in his films in order to make the audience feel bad for him. He also made films that delved into the political spectrum. His film, Modern Times highlighted the upheaval of the great depression. As discussed in chapter two, Chaplin was not allowed to reenter the United States after visiting Europe because of his political