Buster Keaton as the penniless projectionist who dreams of being a great detective in Sherlock Jr.
NOTHING IS MORE free than laughter. But on a silent screen, laughter is a science. Visual comedy isn’t about elements in isolation but relationships. (Name a great comedy shot in close-ups.) To get a laugh, particularly from a visual, a film artist must figure out how to show us something absurd and believable, original yet familiar, relatable but remarkable, something hilarious which also feels effortless. No-one laughs when you point at the joke or sweat too much making it. Screen comedy is a beautiful mechanism. Like a Swiss watch.