8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The mild-mannered son of a steamboat captain caught in the middle of the bitter rivalry between his father and another Mississippi riverboat owner.
Starring: Buster Keaton, Tom McGuire, Ernest Torrence, Tom Lewis (I), Marion ByronDrama | 100% |
Romance | 45% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Family | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.32:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (320 kbps)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
I wish I could say that physical, visual comedy has come a long way since Buster Keaton pratfell across the screen in a series of silent comic classics in the 1920s, but it’s just not true. Sure, the “gags” have gotten bigger—often assisted by CGI, harnesses, and stunt doubles—but few comedians have been able to match Keaton’s graceful, exacting clumsiness, or his ability to communicate subtleties of emotion solely through body language. (Jaques Tati, with his Monsieur Hulot character, comes closest, I think.) His method of acting—deadpan and deliberate, void of sentiment but full of feeling—is a lost art that faded out with advent of “talkies.” Keaton himself faded as well. After a decade of almost complete creative control—a freedom that produced Our Hospitality, Sherlock, Jr., and The General, among others—Keaton signed on with MGM in 1928, giving up his independent status and becoming just another asset in the studio’s ledger book. His last production as an independent filmmaker was Steamboat Bill, Jr., and if not his best film—it’s hard to single one out—it’s arguably the most iconic. Kino International, currently the leader in bringing silent movies to Blu-ray, has certainly done Steamboat Bill justice, restoring it from the best available source elements, and including two slightly different cuts of the film.
Steamboat Bill, Jr., early treehugger...
Of the silent films that have made the high definition leap to Blu-ray thus far, City Girl—
released by U.K. imprint Masters of Cinema—definitely looks the best. Kino's treatment of Keaton's
The General runs a close second, Battleship Potemkin a respectable third, and
Steamboat Bill, Jr. chugs in at fourth. (I've yet to see Sunrise on Blu-ray, which
may jostle my rankings.) The beautiful thing is, they all look absolutely astounding for 80+ year-old
films, especially given all of the frankly horrible public domain home video editions we've seen over
the years. Plus, since they've all been stored under different conditions, have all aged in different
ways, and have prints in varying states of fidelity, it's not really fair to compare. What we can look
at, however, is how faithful and accurate the studios' restorations have been. Thankfully, Kino and
Masters of Cinema have both expressed their desire to release these silent classics with no
unnecessary digital tampering, to present the purest visions of the films presently
possible.
As with The General and Battleship Potemkin, Kino has given Steamboat Bill,
Jr. a miraculous transformation that easily bests any previous home video version of the film.
There's an understandable amount of damage to the print—white flecks, vertical scratches,
occasional tears, some shakiness—but for its age, the film is in remarkable condition. Clarity is often
revelatory, letting us make out extremely fine detail, like the texture of the leather on Bill Jr.'s
luggage tag, or the weft of the elder Bill's work shirt. Unfortunately, some of the hard lines do look
overly edgy, with black haloing present around some foreground objects/people. Kino has
categorically denounced using edge enhancement, so I can only speculate that this has something
to do with the Blu-ray compression/mastering process. I will say this, though: the effect is much less
apparent in motion than it is on some of the screenshots, where it looks very pronounced. This will
be a matter of personal preference and, to some extent, the size of your screen, but it really wasn't
much of a distraction for me. A bigger issue—but once again, no deal breaker—is that the gradation
seems slightly off at times. During a few of the outdoor scenes, highlights can appear too bright, and
black levels—throughout—are never as dense as they could be. Consequently, the image can't quite
achieve the depth or presence you can see in City Girl and The General. Still, I was
frequently in awe of the picture, which is surprisingly detailed and rich with natural, untouched
grain. It's easy to get into full-on nitpick mode about these transfers, but Kino really has done a
fantastic job here.
For the feature presentation of Steamboat Bill, Jr., Kino has given us three audio options. The default track is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix featuring new music by The Biograph Players. Doing a new score for a silent film is a tricky proposition—I always cringe when I see the "metal" version of Nosferatu—but the Biograph Players have pulled this one off. Obviously, the music sounds newly recorded—the mix is bright and clean, with ample bass response—but the score itself is appropriately old-timey, with a bit of Dixieland swing and occasional sound effects that accompany the on-screen action. My only complaint here—and it's a minor one, purely preference—is that, volume- wise, the music seems to be coming from all channels equally. If your rear speakers are closer to your sitting position than your front line-up is, you might find the music a bit loud in the back of the soundfield. If so, you could always switch to the Dolby Digital 2.0 version of the score, which sounds perfectly fine for a lossy mix. The final option is an excellent vintage organ score by Lee Erwin, presented as a Dolby Digital mono track. The sole audio option for the "Killian" version of the film— presented under the "Extras" tab—is a Dolby Digital 2.0 piano-centric score by William Perry.
Steamboat Bill, Jr. - Killiam Version
During the silent era, it was common to create a second cut of the film—often intended for
international markets—out of alternate takes and camera angles. This so-called "Killiam Version" is
just that, and it's definitely worth watching, as there are some subtle differences in Keaton's
performance. Comprised of completely separate film elements from the "Keaton Estate Version," the
Killiam cut is slightly softer, with more judder and brightness flickering. In some ways, though, it
almost looks better than the featured "Estate" cut, as the haloing is absent and the highlights seem
softer. Whatever your preference, kudos to Kino for including both versions.
Visual Essay (720p, 12:20)
A documentary on the making of Steamboat Bill, Jr., featuring a comparison between the
two versions of the film.
Steamboat Bill: The Song
Two versions of the folk song that inspired Steamboat Bill, Jr., by Edward Meeker (2:10) and
Irving Kaufman (2:48).
Why They Call Him Buster (1080p, 1:11)
A montage of pratfalls and stunts taken from various Keaton features and shorts, intended as a
promo for Kino's Lost Keaton collection.
Stills Gallery
A user-directed gallery containing 69 stills.
Steamboat Bill, Jr., as Buster Keaton's last independent film before joining MGM's stable of directors and having his creative freedom restricted, was the end of an era for the stone-faced comedian. It's also one of his best films, filled with manic energy, a simple but tender story, and stunts that, for their time, seemed absolutely insane. Actually, they still seem insane. As with The General and Battleship Potemkin, Kino International has done a swell job with this release, and—video nitpicks aside—there's really no reason for silent film fans to avoid adding this comic masterpiece to their collections. Futhermore, if you've never had a proper introduction to Keaton or silent films in general, Steamboat Bill, Jr. is a fantastic place to start. Highly recommended.
1926
Cohen Film Collection
1924
Remastered
1923
1925
1924
1927
1927
One Week / Convict 13 / Neighbors / The Scarecrow / The Haunted House / Hard Luck / The High Sign / The Goat / The Play House [Playhouse] / The Boat / The Paleface / Cops / My Wife's Relations / The Frozen North / The Electric House / Day Dreams [Daydreams] / The Balloonatic / The Love Nest
1920-1923
1921
Limited Edition to 3000
1957
1931
En lektion i kärlek
1954
1941
1952
Ultimate Edition
1920
+ 1931 The Front Page
1940
1925
1917
1930
1934-1937