The Scarecrow (Buster Keaton, 1920)
What is the film about?
This film is about Buster playing a farmhand who compete with his housemate, who’s name is Robert, to win the love of the nearby farmers daughter who goes by the name of Sybil Seely. Then, Buster encounters a dog, that by his belief has rabies and he is running around away from this dog, he races around brick walls, he’s is jumping through windows and he even falls into a hay thresher that rips off most of his clothing wear. This results in him being forces to wear the scarecrows clothing that is in a nearby field, when fully clothes again he trips over in which he is down on one knee while trying to tie his shoelaces, but Sybil thinks that he is proposing to her so they runaway together to get married. The two of them speed off on a motorcycle but they are being chases by Sybil’s father and Robert and in this pursuit, Buster and Sybil come across a minister who hops in their motorcycle and while they are being chases marries them and they are finally pronounced husband and wife as the splash into the upcoming stream of water.
How is the story told?
This story is told in a linear narrative, so everything is in chronological order, the events on the screen unfold in a sequential order. Ultimately the story is told in order of how the events happen.
Who are the main characters and what happens to them?
Buster Keaton - Buster plays a farmer man who competes with his housemate (Roberts) to win the love of the farmer's daughter (Sybil Seely). Buster end up racing around brick walls, jumps through windows, and falls into a hay thresher that rips off most of his clothes all because of a dog
Sybil Seely - is the farmers daughter who ends up getting married to Buster Keaton after running away from her father when she throughout that Buster proposed to her. She is not such a present figure until towards the end of the film, at the start she appears in the odd scene.
Robert - This is Buster Keatons roommate who is competing for Sybil against Buster and she ends up chasing after Buster with Sybil’s father.
How is the narrative structured?
This film is structured so one event happens after another in a chronological order, the organisation of the story is clear because of the strong focus that there is on this one week in the life of these two newly wedded as they begin to build there new house and have to overcome many obstacles along the way. The linear narrative structure allows the film to be followed easily by the audience.
Does the film belong to a particular genre?
This film is ultimately a comedy film, Buster Keaton, the director of this film, is commonly known for the physical comedy in his films and The Scarecrow conforms the stereotypes of a Buster Keaton film. This films comedy aspects run throughout from the expressions of the characters to the plot of the story itself.
How does it conform to or deviate from genre conventions?
This film ultimately conforms to the comedy film stereotypes (like any other Buster Keaton film during the 1920s) massively as a convention of comedy fils is that there is many locations to allow the characters to interact with different settings and people, this is evident as Buster Keaton used interior and exterior.
Who made the film?
This film as made by an American man named Buster Keaton, he was an American actor, as well as a comedian as well as a film director and what he was bets known for was the silent films that he produced during the 1920s. Within these films he not only directors them but he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. Keaton was bets known for his deadpan expression as well as the elaborate visual comedy that he portrayed on the screen, this helped to define these comedy films of the 1920s.
Does the film exhibit auteur qualities?
Being an auteur means having a direct style of art associated with their voice as a filmmaker, and working consistently in that artistic space over and over. Their personality has to shine in a way that the audience finds relatable.
This film in fact does display multiple auteur qualities, something significant about most of Buster Keatons films is that his style is very visually significant
What do you think the filmmakers wanted to say?
I think that the filmmakers wanted to represent this control of patriarchy in the film and ultimately project the message as stated below:
Does the film attempt to convey a message or ideology?
Throughout the film, the control of the patriarchy is shown. The woman in the film, despite being grown up, appears to still need her father's permission to be involved with men; which is shown when he gets angry and Keaton and his co-star Joe Roberts for talking to his daughter and sends her back inside the house.
Do the filmmakers use any interesting techniques to convey information to the audience?
Does the film hold a significant place in film history?
This film doesn’t hold any significant place in history, however, Buster Keaton is considered to be one of the greatest comic actors of all time, Keaton's work was cast into near obscurity for many years.
How does the film reflect the social, cultural, historical, and political context in which it was produced and exhibited? How is the film representative of the institutions and technologies that made it?
How does the film represent particular individuals or groups of people?
Buster Keaton represents individuals in very stereotypical way in terms of the farmers daughter is shown to be this girl that people are fighting over and she is protected by her father, during the 1920s this is stereotypical of what possible peoples situations might have been like. Ultimately the induviduals in this film stand alone throughout as individuals each one being represented in a different way.
How does Keaton create humour in the film?
Keaton creates humour in this film by the performance of the characters and their reactions to the events playing out on screen, the expressions of Buster Keaton help to imply to the audience how we are supposed to respond, his deadpan expressions are significant because it is a trademark on him as a filmmaker, it is due to the lack of sounds (as it was during the silent cinema era).
What was your personal reaction to the film?
I personally really enjoyed this film and found it very entertaining, the style of Buster Keatons films is very iconic and evident throughout which results in this comedic style running throughout the whole film and my personal reaction to this is that i is what makes the film so significant. The information that is portrayed through a film which is silent is incredible and so obvious to the audience what is happening, I really enjoyed the film as it is not a film I would typically watch.
Do you think your reaction is typical of most spectators?
I think the reaction of typical spectators would be very similar to mine in that this is a film that was clearly very thought out and well executed and has made a historical impact on film even today.
Which sequences were particularly effective or enjoyable?
I personally really enjoyed this film as I found it very funny, especially the chase sequence between Buster Keaton and Sybil’s rather and Buster’s roommate. This is effective as it creates this comedy aspect that runs throughout the whole of the film. A sequence that was particularly effective was the interior sequence in the house as they strings that swung the different equipments back and forth must have taken ages to accomplish exactly what they wanted to accomplish.