完全不記得上一次看默片是什么時(shí)候了，而這是第一次被默片深深吸引，電影中的場(chǎng)景和反應(yīng)都完全真實(shí)，每個(gè)笑點(diǎn)也都銜接得非常自然巧妙，讓人捧腹大笑，原來(lái)那么多的橋段笑點(diǎn)早在2、30年代已經(jīng)有了，而讓觀眾大笑的同時(shí)又引發(fā)思考，不得不佩服導(dǎo)演！我無(wú)法想象當(dāng)時(shí)的技術(shù)條件是什么樣的，但巴斯特基頓奔跑中從上坡下摔著跟頭往下滾的情景讓我相信，那一定不容易，演員付出了超乎想象的辛苦，笑的同時(shí)不禁感嘆，那時(shí)候的電影多么的純粹與真實(shí)啊，質(zhì)樸中可以看到滿(mǎn)滿(mǎn)的誠(chéng)意。非常值得一看。

這很無(wú)厘頭。美國(guó)人果然是無(wú)厘頭的鼻祖。

前面一段不好笑，精彩的是教堂戲開(kāi)始后。

GO，STOP。

馬路中間有一棵大樹(shù)，這不是無(wú)厘頭嗎？

涉及種族歧視了，黑人女郎那個(gè)。

輪滑趕往的新娘，也很無(wú)厘頭。

最后一場(chǎng)教堂戲真是大場(chǎng)面哪，人海戰(zhàn)術(shù)是這么來(lái)的吧？很有喜劇性和戲劇性的一幕。

戴個(gè)腳表。

修表的懷表卻是壞的，好無(wú)厘頭。

飛來(lái)的鬧鐘卻提醒了男主時(shí)間，太無(wú)厘頭了。

新娘們一人一磚頭拆墻也很無(wú)厘頭。飛板磚就是這么來(lái)的吧？哈哈。

土耳其浴室，女士輪用日這個(gè)，跟現(xiàn)在的入錯(cuò)男女廁所一樣一樣的。

亂石齊追可以成為經(jīng)典畫(huà)面了。

很久以前就聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)巴斯特基頓的名字，知道他和卓別林同為默片時(shí)代的大師，被稱(chēng)為“冷面笑匠”，可是那時(shí)候網(wǎng)絡(luò)資源有限，無(wú)緣一睹大師的作品，時(shí)至今日才一睹大師風(fēng)采，大師實(shí)至名歸啊。

故事開(kāi)篇比較平淡，主角靦腆，求愛(ài)失敗。事業(yè)失敗，面臨破產(chǎn)之時(shí)，飛來(lái)橫財(cái)，但是要求生日的七點(diǎn)以前必須完婚，一段荒唐的求婚大戰(zhàn)開(kāi)始了，數(shù)百名老新娘追新郎，爬汽車(chē)，上吊車(chē)，甲魚(yú)咬，蜜蜂蟄，上山下河，片子節(jié)奏越來(lái)越快，笑料迭起，最后有情人終成眷屬。一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的故事，場(chǎng)面卻宏大精致，設(shè)計(jì)精巧，觀眾緊張、焦急、歡樂(lè)交織在一起，真是藝術(shù)品級(jí)別的電影。

技術(shù)在突飛猛進(jìn)的進(jìn)步，默片到有聲，到彩色，到寬銀幕，到3D，VR電影也嶄露頭角了。但是，經(jīng)典不會(huì)隨著技術(shù)的進(jìn)步被湮沒(méi)，仍然會(huì)以風(fēng)味獨(dú)特的格調(diào)繼續(xù)流傳下去。

現(xiàn)在的電影，有點(diǎn)走入了誤區(qū)，以場(chǎng)面宏大刺激神經(jīng)、特效絢麗爭(zhēng)奪眼球?yàn)橘u(mài)點(diǎn)，至于故事邏輯，橋段設(shè)計(jì)，有的就瞎子放驢，隨它去了，觀眾看了怒斥，反而這怒斥形成了熱議，成了片子的賣(mài)點(diǎn)了。怪哉！再看看經(jīng)典老片，忽而感覺(jué)單從藝術(shù)上講，或許我們進(jìn)步有限，我敢說(shuō)絕大多數(shù)的導(dǎo)演，還不如九十年前老一輩的水平。即使前幾年模仿默片制作的好萊塢大獎(jiǎng)片大夢(mèng)想家，也做不到。

我忽然有興趣制作一部默片來(lái)玩玩，不知道有機(jī)會(huì)否。

作為和卓別林齊名同為默片巨匠的基頓 在名氣上確實(shí)不如卓別林家喻戶(hù)曉 但兩人對(duì)于默片時(shí)代電影的重要性是其他人無(wú)可撼動(dòng)的！

默片時(shí)代的電影 影響了以后的很多作品 上世紀(jì)五十年代初默片幾乎銷(xiāo)聲匿跡 60年代一批默片的動(dòng)畫(huà)誕生《貓和老鼠》 《大力水手》動(dòng)畫(huà)里很多角色的動(dòng)作和創(chuàng)意都是受到默片所影響。

《七次機(jī)會(huì)》這部上世紀(jì)20年代的電影放在今天依舊有很多讓人驚喜的地方 影片唯一的弊端在于電影的故事過(guò)于簡(jiǎn)單 俗套（這是用現(xiàn)在的眼光去看待）電影的配樂(lè)延續(xù)著默片電影一貫的風(fēng)格 大氣 輕快 俏皮！電影除去開(kāi)場(chǎng)幾分鐘吉米追求意中人未果 之后的節(jié)奏連貫 一氣呵成看的讓我大呼過(guò)癮 影片的高潮 吉米被眾多應(yīng)召而來(lái)的征婚者追逐的片段 場(chǎng)面一點(diǎn)也不??！在躲避石頭那一段時(shí)真的為他捏了把汗 雖然知道那是道具 但看見(jiàn)石塊滾下來(lái)還是忍不住擔(dān)心。讓我意外的是吉米的飾演者巴斯特基頓 基頓長(zhǎng)得并不算高大 體型偏瘦弱 在這個(gè)片段他小小的身軀迸發(fā)出了巨大的能量！各種高難度動(dòng)作層出不窮（開(kāi)創(chuàng)了動(dòng)作喜劇的先河 成龍也在基頓的影片中受到過(guò)很多啟發(fā)）。

電影真的是很奇妙的東西 這部電影上映已經(jīng)接近百年了 卻依舊可以讓人開(kāi)心 快樂(lè) 所以好的作品是不會(huì)隨著時(shí)間增長(zhǎng)而褪色 反而蘊(yùn)含了驚人的光彩。

jc Tim Halloran

CTVA 310

5th October 2017

The best chasing sequences in 1925--- A short review of Seven Chances

On the last Sunday night in September 2017, Instructor Tim Halloran, holding a representative of Buster Keaton Features, asked, "What brings a large number of people here?”. I looked around and found around a hundred people sitting in the same threat room with me. Then, I had the same question as to the instructor. Three hours later, I figured out the reason: These comedies, "Seven Chances" and "Go West," played at the night, which was produced, acted and directed by Keaton in 1925, are excellent comedies with forward, hilarious, great chasing sequence series and special actions’ effects (Stunts). Particularly, audiences in the Ahman Theatre mostly come for "Seven Chances”; they love the chasing sequences about "Keaton" being chased by thousands of brides. The great impact of the "Seven Chances" on the audience benefits from a proper film pace, the perfect camera works arrangement, and the unforeseen stunts.

The pace of "Seven Chances" is a solid design. It packs a sluggish momentum with lots of simple, static camera shots at the beginning of the film. Audiences were introduced to a dating series about James and a girl: James wants to make an avowal to the girl, but he never says a word. Keaton used static, long shots at the same angle to establish the dating scene, thus, showing the background surrounding the story, James’ goal, and his irresolute and hesitant characters. The cadence here is kind of slow, but the camera work makes the dating scene look steady. It helps audiences to get into the characters' world. It also implies that James loves the girl and the love never changes. Although it takes forever for James to make an avowal, the magic of comedic arrives, coincidences happen and pushes James out of the predicament: in the following lot, James must get married to a woman to gain his uncle's money, to save his partner and firm; the slow film pace then starts to change.

The film pace gradually increases and the camera works that Keaton chooses to become more complex but brilliant. Audiences were getting caught in hilarious plots where James is seen as a psycho as he proposes to women, especially, after using all seven chances, but finds no bride to marry. He arrives at the church and falls asleep. As he sleeps, the climax approaches and the film pace is reaching to the highest. Keaton used eye-level static shots to shoot the sleeping scene of James and made a great camera work arrangement to shoot sequences of upcoming brides: wide and extremely wide shots with pan and moving movements, changing the camera position from low angle to high angle. One sleeping man, who is in a static shot, will meet thousands of running women who are in wide, moving shot. The sequences are very dramatic, static compared with moving. Brides continue to arrive in their thousands for one slim, short man, who is sleeping and knows nothing. Keaton used a cross-cutting method to show the relationship between the brides and James; it made audiences nervous and curious about what was going to happen. After James wakes up and is found by the thousands of brides, he gets notes from his dream girl's salves, and starts his long-distance running: he must, to escape from thousands of brides and marry his girl in her home. In his "long-distance running" journey, James has to jump from a cliff and survives a rock landslide... The plot has reached its climax and the pace reaches the highest speed. Making audiences laugh at hilarious escape sequences was not the only thing Keaton wanted to reach. In addition, he used stunts to make spectators feel more excited and noxious. Even though it was in 1925, Keaton still made excellent action effects.

In conclusion, the feature "Seven Chances" does not have a sluggish pace. It has a very tide pace with an entertaining drama conflict. However, what blew my imagination was the way that Keaton used cameras and his excellent stunts in 1925. The sequences about James being chased by thousands of brides, that would be one series I would never forget in Keaton’s features. To be honest, I would say it's the best chasing sequence that I have ever seen, the chasing series that involves stunts and the great use of cameras in 1925. It's remarkable, forward and well made. "Seven Chances" is a simple story that might be predictable, but it's an entertaining old comedic feature with exciting twists and stunts, and is filled with surprises.