BUSTER Keaton’s (although technically directed by Charles Reisner) Steamboat Bill, Jr. closely resembles what Tom Gunning refers to as “cinema of attractions,” while still managing a somewhat compelling narrative. Steamboat Bill, Jr. depicts city dwelling college boy William Canfield Jr. (Buster Keaton) reuniting with his father (Ernest Torrence) in a Mississippi River town. His father plans to mold him into a hardened deck hand, whereas he finds John James King’s (Tom McGuire) daughter, Kitty King (Marion Byron), far more interesting. This forbidden love with the daughter of his father’s rival serves as the vehicle for Buster Keaton’s wide array of gags and stunts, and thus allows Steamboat Bill, Jr. to function as a must-see attraction.
Whether jumping between ships, diving into a river, knocking out a policeman, or running for his life Buster Keaton peppers every scene with numerous punchlines. The narrative itself takes a back seat to the visual comedy. The audience knows the two young lovers will eventually connect, but the thrill resides in anticipating what wacky situations will temporarily derail that plot. Steamboat Bill, Jr. even features what many call Buster Keaton’s most dangerous and must-see stunt: fitting perfectly through an open window in a house’s falling facade. Keaton supposedly even told his director to keep the camera rolling no matter what. Valuing these stunts and visual marvels over the story is what makes Steamboat Bill, Jr. resemble the “cinema of attractions” more than a narrative focused film.
My particular showing of Steamboat Bill, Jr. also included live piano accompaniment by Philip Carli, which simply added to the sense of “attraction.” Now not only did the film itself want to draw the audience’s attention away from the plot and towards the technical craft of the stunts and gags, but the theater also added its own additional artistry to the experience. Even though we remember Buster Keaton for fusing his stunts with more than serviceable story, between him and Philip Carli the narrative did not stand a chance.
Of course all of this applies to a silent film from 1928, but how does it apply to modern cinema? Well, over the years it naturally progressed from Keaton (who was already fusing action with narrative) to franchises that dominate our current theaters. If you look at Marvel or the Fast & Furious franchise, these films draw in audiences with the promise of spectacle. Of course there is an interesting through line across the films, but the action remains the primary draw. Even as budgets and technology have skyrocketed, the principals found in Steamboat Bill, Jr. still hold true today.
Once you do away with the facade and superfluous story, whether it is Fast & Furious or pornography, in the end, you’re just there for the explosions.
