Laughter, comedy and a comedian named Buster Keaton
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32870/sincronia.v30.n89.e3193Keywords:
Buster Keaton, Laughter, Comedy, Silent film, Slapstick ComedyAbstract
This essay analyzes the figure of Buster Keaton and his influence on the evolution of film comedy, positioning him as one of the great innovators of silent cinema. The study begins with a theoretical reflection on laughter and comicity as social and cultural phenomena, taking as reference the ideas of Henri Bergson and Mijail Bajtin. Within this framework, it is argued that laughter, both individual and collective, fulfills functions that go beyond entertainment, becoming a mechanism of cohesion, correction, and symbolic resistance. Building on this foundation, the essay examines how Keaton manages to construct a unique comicity through the interaction between his body, the mise-en-scène, and the creative use of film technology, without relying on dialogue. Films such as Sherlock Jr. (1924) and The General (1926) allow us to observe the use of visual resources, physical acrobatics, and absurd situations that generate laughter through surprise and disproportion. The results show that Keaton’s comicity rests on technical precision and emotional control that grant it universality, ensuring its relevance in contemporary cinema and consolidating his contribution to the historical development of comedy as an artistic genre.
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