The Paleface

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sean l An absent-minded Buster Keaton abruptly shifts from collecting butterflies to dodging tomahawks, as his innocent meanderings lead him straight into a conflict between a shady office full of oil tycoons and a persecuted tribe of Native American landowners. First mistaken for one of the naughty opportunists, he escapes stake, fire, arrow and spear alike before joining the natives and helping to right their wrongs. Even given the era, this story's pretty loose; a pale shade of color to decorate the silly physical exploits that we've really come to see. In that respect, this film serves as a milestone, as Keaton has obviously employed a number of cinematic tricks and rudimentary special effects to amplify his riskier stunts. Unlike 1921's The Playhouse, where such effects were crafty and well-conceived, shockingly effective a hundred years later, the wilder stunts seen in The Paleface are transparent enough to disrupt the scene. We may not see the wires lifting Buster off the ground, but we know where they are. Rather than enhancing his infamous daredevil act, they've broken the illusion. As such, this film represents something of a growing pain in the heart of Keaton's two-reel prime. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Decent Keaton film where he goes native under the name paleface. Favorite scene was when they tried to burn him at the stake. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member I really enjoyed the story of this movie. It was somewhat touching to see Buster accepted into the tribe and fighting for his new friends (as well as them fighting for him). Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review eric b Not one of Keaton's best, though it's fun to pretend Kevin Costner ripped it off for "Dances with Wolves." Keaton is a butterfly hunter who stumbles onto disputed Indian territory. Furious at the white man's demands, the Indians focus their rage on Keaton -- who is initially oblivious to his dire situation. After far-fetched circumstances convince the awestruck Indians that Keaton has supernatural powers, they bring him into their tribe. And he ends up helping to turn away the greedy land-grabbers. The gags are not particularly inspired, and racial content in old films is always a bit of a cringe. Also, there are some geographical details that seem inconsistent. Like how Keaton is "trapped" with the Indians behind a single gate, but then has acres and acres to run in other directions. A rolling fall down a huge hill seems to require only a quick scramble to reverse. The locations don't quite gel. The film's length is 20 minutes, rather than two as listed above. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member http://filmreviewsnsuch.blogspot.com/2011/09/paleface.html Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Predictable little movie with Keaton and native american tribe. Not that good. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Paleface

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