The Goat

1921 "A great short delivered with wit, imagination and hilarious physical comedy"
7.7| 0h23m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 15 May 1921 Released
Producted By: Buster Keaton Productions
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A series of adventures begins when Buster is mistaken for Dead Shot Dan, the evil bad guy.

Genre

Comedy

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The Goat (1921) is currently not available on any services.

Director

Buster Keaton, Malcolm St. Clair

Production Companies

Buster Keaton Productions

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The Goat Audience Reviews

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Tom Gooderson-A'Court Buster Keaton is walking past a jail when he grabs the bars and peers inside. On the other side of the bars is notorious murderer "Dead Shot Dan" who is being photographed. Seeing that Keaton is behind him, Dan ducks out of shot and once he escapes, a photo of Keaton, seemly behind bars is published. As a result of this Keaton is forced to go on the run from various police officers including a persistent Police Chief who just won't give up.I watch a lot of Silent Comedy but if I had to ask someone to watch just one short silent picture it may well be this one. The Goat is packed full of wonderful jokes, ingenious set ups and incredible stunt work. I laughed more at twenty seven minutes of this film than I have during probably every comedy I've seen so far this year combined.What makes this film so great is the sheer quantity and quality of gags. While essentially a chase comedy, this is to the Keystone Cops what BBC4 is to ITV2. Sure they have similarities, but one is far more sophisticated that the other. Keaton seems to find endless possibilities in places to hide and ways of escape, only to have them backfire on him. The way that the gags join together feels effortless. Nothing about the film feels forced despite the huge number of jokes and stunts. Keaton never creates a tenuous link from one to another, the whole film feels smooth and calculated while remaining frantic and fast paced.As well as being incredibly funny, this is also quite surreal in places, in keeping with Keaton's cannon. Some of the more surreal moments include a clay horse melting under Keaton's weight and perhaps one of Keaton's most famous scenes in which a train approaches from the distance and stops immediately in front of the camera showing Keaton, stone faced, riding the cow catcher. This isn't really played for laughs but you laugh at the audacity of the shot. Perhaps the most surreal scene involves an elevator chase in which Keaton and the Police Chief (Joe Roberts) are involved in a chase through an apartment block. Keaton manipulates the mechanical elevator floor indicator to his advantage (even though this wouldn't really effect where the elevator was) and by pulling it hard and past the top floor Keaton forces the elevator out of the roof. The scene is like a cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and something Terry Gilliam would produce. It's a wonderfully clever and funny scene.Something else that stands out, as with any Keaton picture, is the star's athleticism and gymnastic abilities. It sometimes seems as though Keaton is made of rubber as he jumps, falls, stretches and squeezes with ease both in and out of trouble. Keaton, who once broke his neck during a film (and didn't realise until years later when he had an x-ray) was never afraid to put himself in harms way and that is certainly true here. In The Goat he can be seen jumping through windows and off vehicles, sliding down elevator shafts and falling of a variety of apparatus. During all of this his expression never changes.To call The Goat a masterpiece would be no exaggeration. It is easily amongst the greatest silent shorts of the 1920s and amongst Keaton's best work. The humour, timing and plot don't feel out of place today. It's the sort of film that you'll be afraid to look away from for just a second or two in case you miss a gag or glance. This is comedic perfection.www.attheback.blogspot.com
st-shot Mistaken for a notorious criminal Buster Keaton takes it on the lamb in The Goat. With the cops in close pursuit the heat is on from start to finish and Keaton keeps things moving at a brisk pace throughout by coupling scenes in a smooth transitional flow.We first encounter Buster in a breadline where he is stymied by a couple of mannequins. From there our curious flaneur manages to get his mug on a wanted poster and the attention of the local force including the police chief whose daughter he picks up along the way. Keaton's clever antics include scenes with an elevator, a clay sculpture monument and a magnificent entrance on one of his favorite go to props, a locomotive. With exteriors shot outside on city streets the film has a more panoramic look than a two set studio short allowing Keaton more freedom to create his material and stretch the chase without ever breaking rhythm. Definitely one of his best shorts.
Snow Leopard This is an extremely funny short feature, filled with good material and executed with perfect timing. It's a fine display of Buster Keaton's comic skill, and it's also an enjoyable example of the way his characters stoically and resourcefully face the most bizarre and unexpected of developments.The story starts with a silly mix-up (in a very clever scene that is also nicely executed) that sees Buster mistaken for notorious criminal 'Dead Shot Dan'. From then on, it is non-stop chases, stunts, and general chaos.It's all inspired silliness, with Keaton's creativity and sense of the absurd both in full force. If you enjoy Keaton's comedies, you should love "The Goat". In fact, you have to watch it more than once to catch all of the good material, and it's just as funny the second (or third) time through.
suzanna This is one you can watch over and over and laugh just as much each time. We have been on a Keaton fest around here after purchasing some of his films. In this one Buster is mistaken for an escaped murderer and there are lots of chase scenes and crazy scenes but also what is best about Buster - his creativity. The opening scene is really funny and it just keeps going from there.