It almost feels as if Criterion and Kino got divorced and had to split custody of the kids, Criterion taking Charlie Chaplin and Kino claiming Buster Keaton. Given the nature of Criterion’s releases and the extent to which they favor a cache of pivotal features over a collection of beloved short films, I think they did well for themselves to emerge from the scrap with the rights to Chaplin’s work. I mean, it’s tough to argue with the likes of Modern Times,The Great Dictator, and The Gold Rush. On the other hand, can an ostensibly definitive collection of film masterworks possibly feel complete without an appearance by The Great Stone Face? That’s a rhetorical question, but the answer is no.
Criterion’s interest in presenting film has always been matched by their interest in defining it, their history of releasing slyly self-reflexive studies like F For Fake and Close-up naturally indicating a passion for the bigger picture. My two favorite Keaton films (tough break, The General) are likewise obsessed with the idea of the movies as a mechanism, Sherlock Jr. andThe Cameraman both having a tremendous amount of fun fiddling with the medium the way a (brilliant, death-defying) kid might play with a new toy. I highly doubt that Criterion will ever get their hands on these (and Kino’s Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray is excellent in its own right), but a man can dream.
Criterion Corner #13: The Best Directors NOT In The Criterion Collection
