Buster Keaton – the art of the gag

Tony Zhou:

Before Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson, before Chuck Jones and Jackie Chan, there was Buster Keaton, one of the founding fathers of visual comedy. And nearly 100 years after he first appeared onscreen, we’re still learning from him. Today, i’d like to talk about the artistry (and the thinking) behind his gags.

I discovered Keaton as a kid and loved his comedy. But it wasn’t until adulthood I realized just what level of genius I was watching. His stunts are, to this day, still incredible and many of them are unrepeatable. As an aside, if you’re a film buff, Tony Zhou’s “Every Frame a Painting” Youtube page has some great videos dissecting why we love what we love about movies.