Welcome back for another featured Letterboxd Lists review! This time around we’re going to take a look at the Letterboxd’s Top 100 Silent Films list. More specifically, we’ll be looking at number 21 on that list with… The Cameraman (1928).
Title: The Cameraman
Directors: Edward Sedgwick, Buster Keaton
Released: September 10, 1928 (Limited theatrical release in the United States, wide release in Canada)
Runtime: 1 hour 14 minutes
Available to stream on: Tubi
Buster (Buster Keaton) is a photographer in New York City selling tintype photographs. One day he crosses paths with Sally (Marceline Day) and instantly knows that she is the one for him. Now all he has to do is try to find her.
Luckily for Buster, he’s able to track her down and learns that she works for MGM Newsreels. To try and get even closer to Sally, Buster decides to spend all he has on a film camera. However, as confident as he might feel, nobody at MGM takes him seriously or thinks he can make it as an MGM cameraman…except for Sally. She motivates him to keep at it and just shoot everything he sees.
To his credit, Buster does exactly that. Wherever he goes, his camera is with him. Anytime something looks like it might be about to unfold, he’s there and filming.
But will it be enough to land a job as an MGM cameraman?
What about a date with Sally?
After I finished watching The Cameraman (1928), it was interesting to read up on it a bit. This was Keaton’s first film with MGM and many would say his last great success. It turns out that when he signed with MGM, he wound up forfeiting a lot of creative control. Though here, luckily for us as viewers, he apparently was able to still have a decent amount of creative control.
As for the film itself, at a mere 74 minutes in length it flies by.
Is it all cohesive? Not necessarily, its more a bunch of short skits loosely tied together by his pursuit of Sally. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t still fun.
Keaton’s ability to convey so much emotion through the simplest of movements continues to amaze me every time I see him in action. His brand of physical comedy and stunt work is on full display here as well. Whether at Yankee stadium, in the pool, the dressing room, or even the Tong War, Keaton delivers on the physical comedy.
If you have not yet seen The Cameraman (1928), definitely correct that if and when you get a chance.
Well now, if you have seen The Cameraman (1928) what did you think of it?
Tell me your thoughts in the comments below or by reaching out to me on Bluesky!
As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.