Retrospective Film Review

Sherlock Jr. (1924) — silent classic is the essence of cinema

A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he’s framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend’s father’s pocket watch.

There are a number of brilliant comedians from Hollywood’s silent era. The most famous is undoubtedly Charlie Chaplin, whose signature character, the Tramp, made him instantly recognisable around the world. Laurel and Hardy also became the most successful comedy duo ever, while also making a superb transition from silent films to talkies. However, in my opinion, the best of them all was the great Buster Keaton.

It appears Keaton was destined to become a master of cinema. Having begun his career as a child performer, acting alongside his mother and father in their vaudeville show, he transitioned into filmmaking. Cinema was all the richer for it. This couldn’t have been more evident than in his first great film: Sherlock Jr. Released a century ago this month, the five-reel picture may only be 45 minutes long, but it…