• There’s really two movies here in Keaton’s 69 minute Go West. The first 45 minutes or so it’s a very funny fish out of water comedy with Keaton, at his finest, struggling to make it as a cowboy and clearly caring for the cow (instead of branding him he shaves a brand in him in a funny scene)— another highlight is his forcing a smile on himself with his hands (against that trademark deadpan) while playing cards
  • Super-imposed Horace Greeley’s “Go West, young man” edits as Keaton is eating his sandwich. Haha
  • A highlight in the first 45 minutes is a nice (and very humorous) tracking shot of the cows in the pen and then after cow after cow we get to a deadpan Keaton in the pen
  • At about 45-47 minutes the film takes off and it is a first-rate Keaton film for the last 20 minutes—we’re off and running on the train (one year before The General) with Keaton walking on top, getting chased, dodging bullets (60 years or so before Jackie Chan in Police Story), and wobbling in long shot while the train takes corners
  • At 52 minutes the hundreds of cattle are in long shot—again- Buster Keaton the auteur using massive set pieces in long shot in the frame
  • Hilariously Keaton leads the cattle out of town in a red devil suit (they’re attracted to red)—the color gag is tough to pull off but it’s such a glorious spectacle watching the hundreds of cattle with the massive group of cops, too. Very kinetic, cinematic
  • Perfect ending with Keaton (who saved the day) saying “I want her” when the cattle baron asks Keaton what he wants—they cut to the daughter of the baron, the love interest, but Keaton is talking about the cow.
  • Highly Recommend