The world-weary cynicism, the acceptance of chaos, and the inevitability of the fading of romance that seem to characterize a post-holocaust generation make Keaton a favorite with today's audiences; they prefer his detached "cool" to Chaplin's often impassioned sentimentality and spirited commitment. There is no question that Keaton was an innovative filmmaker with an instinctive awareness of the unique possibilities of the camera and that he anticipated the cinematic strides of such later masters as Renoir, Welles, Antonioni, and Kubrick. Neither his content nor his structure seems dated. We can learn much from him, about the folly of pride, about the importance of persevering, and about the fact that the value of a human life is not measured by money, but by work. Experts, students, and enthusiasts will find great value in this book.
