Nobel prizewinning playwright samuel beckett s lone work for projected cinema was entitled archetypally, film, and. For buster keaton there was never the terrible eclipse, the descent from fame, that came to so many of his silent film colleagues. The above excerpt from ralph waldo emersons nature presents an ideal that buster keaton s character in samuel beckett s film 1965 cannot achieve. In 1964 author samuel beckett set out on one of the strangest ventures in cinematic history. But, as the film is based around bishop berkeleys principle esse est percipi to be is to be perceived, keaton s very existence. Keaton was even offered the role of lucky on the original american production of godot, though the actor declined. Even samuel beckett contributed to the desecration of the keaton mask by involving the actor of absurdity before its time in a dreary exercise called film, the most pretentious title in all cinema. Go see a double feature of samuel beckett s long lost 1965 experimental short film starring buster keaton, and ross lipmans documentary notfilm, about their encounter and. Keaton never figured out what the film was about, either, ten with access to the original script. Nobel prizewinning playwright samuel beckett wrote the film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster keaton and samuel beckett wglt skip to main content. Film is a 1965 short film written by samuel beckett, his only screenplay. Buster keaton in becketts first film the new york times. Then, in the summer of 1965, came an unexpected offer from the new york film festival.
Beckett, keaton, and rosset were far from the only major players here. It was all in the movie world, of samuel beckett, as a new untitled film, marking the first screenplay by the irish playwright, began production in the. The playwright was a longtime fan of the silent film legend. One of them was buster keaton, a silent film master of physical comedy, and the other was samuel beckett, a master of. Film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster keaton and samuel beckett beckett wrote the screenplay for only one film, a 1965 silent short starring keaton. Beckett was nearing the peak of his fame, which would culminate in his receiving a nobel prize five years later. Go see a double feature of samuel beckett s long lost 1965 experimental short film starring buster keaton, and ross lipmans documentary notfilm, about their.
Samuel beckett and buster keaton surely possess two of the most photogenic faces of the 20th century, contrasting images of haplessness and stoicism. Samuel beckett and buster keaton make film 28min short, comedy, drama this commemorative, immersive black and white film based on don nigros play takes us back into the shooting of irish literary lion samuel beckett s one and only film made in july of 1964. This was samuel beckett s only venture into the medium of cinema. Beckett s only film, film, has for several years engaged a renowned restorationist, ross lipman. Beckett calls this character o for being the object of e, the eye of the camera, thats obsessive like following him. As the film begins, we see an extreme closeup of keaton s eye, and then, following immediately see him running thru a ruined cityscape while at the same time covering. Notfilm is a 2015 featurelength documentary, directed by ross lipman on the production of playwright samuel beckett s only film, an experimental short entitled film starring buster keaton while conducting preliminary research to restore film, filmmaker and restorationist ross lipman visited grove press founder and film producer barney rosset at his apartment, where lipman discovered reels.
Nobel prizewinning playwright samuel beckett s lone work for projected cinema was entitled archetypally, film, and grew from berkeleys pronouncement, essi et percipi. Film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster. Oct 26, 2014 buster keaton and samuel beckett on the set of film. The time samuel beckett and buster keaton made a movie. Some 50 years ago, the playwright and novelist samuel beckett and the silentera film star buster keaton worked together on a singular creation of cinematic art. Early on, alan schneider, an american who had staged some of beckett s works but never made a film before, accepted the directorial assignment. Buster keaton did his own stunts, which included working with samuel beckett director ross lipman introduces screenings at music box and university of chicago. Courtesy of milestone film in 1964, two guys walked into a movie studio. The movie was almost entirely silent, and shot largely in the first person. Film 1965 samuel beckett s short, experimental, surreal, silent film which not so much features buster keaton as it hides him from the camera for much of its running length. Buster keaton and samuel beckett on the set of film.
Ross lipmans kinoessay documents the making of the 1965 short film, written by samuel beckett and starring buster keaton. A twentyminute, almost totally silent film no dialogue or music, save one shhh. Youd have to scan the horizon for a long time to come up with a. Film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster keaton and samuel beckett. A twentyminute, almost totally silent film no dialogue or music, one shhh. Buster keaton did his own stunts, which included working. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Given this film s significance in the cinematic canon its the only collaboration between samuel beckett and buster keaton, both recognized as masters in their respective media its surprising that it hasnt been reissued on disk, along with ross lipmans documentary notfilm. But, as the film is based around bishop berkeleys principle esse est percipi to be is to be perceived, keaton s very existence conspires against his efforts. When samuel beckett tried to capture the power of the. Samuel beckett wrote plays and poetry, novels and short stories, criticism and nonfiction, tv scripts and radio teleplays. Instead, its only available on youtube as a grainy transfer. The rundown on samuel beckett and buster keatons tribute.
Nobel prizewinning playwright samuel beckett wrote the film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster keaton and samuel beckett wbaa skip to main content. In 1964, buster keaton was offered the most serious role of his career. Amos vogel had seen a print somewhere and thought it was worth showingas part of a keaton revival series. Already the film was becoming keaton s and not beckett s. Film is certainly one of the oddest film projects ever. Sid mahanta on notfilm a documentary about the making of samuel beckett s avantgarde movie film, starring buster keaton. But if the 1965 film was strange, the single meeting beckett and keaton had before production began was even stranger. One of them was buster keaton, a silent film master of physical comedy, and the other was samuel beckett, a master of cerebral literature. Sarris discusses film in the context of his section on the film career of buster keaton, writing that. In opposition to emersons transcendental idealism, beckett s avantgarde film suggests that human beings can never escape the confines of the intruding eyeball, and they can never. Its treatment of this subject matter makes it one of beckett s most overtly political works.
That samuel beckett and buster keaton once collaborated on a short avantgarde film is, in and of itself, a thrilling fact. It was commissioned by barney rosset of grove press. Unlikely and unlookedfor collaborations are thick on the land where moviemaking is concerned, but few have the resonance of the onceinalifetime connection between samuel beckett and buster keaton. Buster keaton stars in film, samuel beckett s only foray onto the big screen. Samuel becketts adventure in film center theatre group. Samuel beckett stephen dillane buster keaton physical comedy film genres star wars making a movie playwright oscar in 1964, the silent film master and the celebrated playwright made a film together. But despite coming of age alongside the art of cinema, he was not a filmmaker. The idea of samuel beckett and buster keaton collaborating on.
Beckett was nearing the peak of his fame, which would culminate in his receiving a n. Ross certainly displays respect for both beckett and keaton, while at the same time, doing what i what did, lamenting about the terrible underutilization of keaton in beckett s film. When future nobel laureate samuel beckett made his one and only film. Samuel beckett was working on his only screenplay, a short film called film depicting a character who, like a cockroach, seems terrified of being seen. In samuel beckett s what where four disembodied faces engage in a cycle of interrogation and torture. When future nobel laureate samuel beckett made his one and only film in. What where film by samuel beckett film and documentary. With buster keaton, nell harrison, james karen, susan reed. Fury road, chase films have kept the cameras turning. Bfi and milestone films ross lipmans notfilm is a kino essay about film 1965, by samuel beckett, the nobel prizewinning. Film 1965 directed by alan schneider, samuel beckett. Buster keaton and samuel beckett walk into a movie studio. A second draft was produced by 22 may and a 40leaf shooting script followed thereafter.
In 1965, an elderly buster keaton starred in film, a little experiment in cinema by one samuel beckett an unlikely collaboration, but an inspired one. Nobel prizewinning playwright samuel beckett wrote the film and notfilm showcase the collaboration of buster keaton and samuel beckett wfsu skip to main content. Writing began on 5 april 1963 with a first draft completed within four days. Yet beckett s ontological concerns have less to do with the plastic medium than the nature of recorded and projected images.