After the somewhat serious tones found in Our Hospitality, I was ready for Buster Keaton’s work to blow me away entirely with a film that focused more on its comedy than it did on budding romances and family grievances. A Western comedy from one of the great minds of the silent era, it’s a sure-fire success, especially as this film comes from a period where Keaton was hitting his stride as a solid director and performer. Packed full of stunts, visual gags and a handy few lines of dialogue to keep the plot on the go, Go West is a certainly strong entrant into the silent-era of comedy, and also the filmography of Keaton. It’s far from perfect, but the honest work on display in this one is a touch heart-warming.
There are some incredibly impressive gags throughout this one. Clever tricks and dangerous stunts are thrown together just for the sake of laughter. Keaton’s charming on-screen presence brings about such an engaging, enjoyable time. He’s attacked by barrels, trodden on, fails to mount a horse, and is failing to acclimatise to his newfound Western lifestyle. Hightailing it from New York City in the early moments, Go West follows Keaton as he searches for a job just about anywhere he can find one. He’s not spurred on by any outside motivation, no romantic gestures or family troubles have fallen into his lap, Keaton merely strives to find work and soon finds himself in over his head. The comedic aspects of this piece certainly rely on Keaton’s brash, bumbling talent. The likeable tones here are elevated, they serve him better than the character arc found in Our Hospitality, but the story itself is far less invigorating.
There’s something rather marvellous about knocking the stereotypes and cliché of the Western genre years before its boom
GO WEST
Much like Our Hospitality, the set and costume design come together magnificently. Keaton strolls around the screen, strutting his stuff in a cowboy hat, spurs and holster. There’s something rather marvellous about knocking the stereotypes and cliché of the Western genre years before its boom. Keaton hits the nail on the head, though, jabbing at the intricacies of cowboy mentality, the Old West and the free lifestyle many felt during this period of gun-toting, horse-riding history.
As is always the case with Eureka, you can expect a hefty amount of bonus features and extras on this disc. Go West comes with a soundtrack from Rodney Sauer and The Mont Alto Orchestra, who do a phenomenal job of bringing together a grand, chirpy feeling for the film. The light-hearted touch they bring to the score transitions exceptionally well to the screen, adapting to Keaton’s chirpiness in the face of harsh adversity. Joel Goss and Bruce Lawton provide audio commentary, whilst David Cairns provides A Window on Keaton, a brief and charming video essay that looks to dissect Keaton’s craft. Alongside that, there are all your usual trinkets, including a stills gallery, a video essay from John Bengston on the filming locations, and a comedy short entitled Go West from director Len Powers.
The Keaton Project can mark another successful, monumental transfer, with Go West looking astounding from start to finish. A strong outing from Keaton, touched up nicely by the steady hands of Eureka, Go West will be a lovely treat for the hardened Keaton fan, but may not serve as the best place to start with this titan of silent comedy.
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