Ferraduras Modernas

A young blacksmith's apprentice, through the usual in luck and malfunctioning gadgetry, ends up with control of the works for a while. There he tries to make do with all he's learned and what he has, including clever little jokes like horse's shoes in shoeboxes, a watch that needs to be fixed by fire, and a horse-back shock absorber. However, despite his genuine attempts at making everyone happy, eventually all of the customers grow irate, putting the young blacksmith-to-be in danger.

Typical Keaton in its inventiveness, this one has not much to make it stand out from any of his other works except for the delightful destruction of a high-class care, a neat little subversive poke towards conspicuous consumption sentiments. Otherwise, pick a plot line from any other Keaton short, make it revolve around a blacksmith's shop, and you got this neat little fun-fest.

--PolarisDiB

A simple story. A great effect. A lovely comedy, in which not exactly the story is significant but the amazing inventivity. A nice short film, proposing an apprentice and his hilarious mistakes and a love story among horses and cars.

This film bears a strong resemblance to the Keaton/Arbuckle collaboration "The Garage". Here Keaton is the somewhat inept assistant to a bully (Big Joe Roberts) in a garage where he works as a combination blacksmith and auto mechanic. Ordinary props and tools of the trade become instruments of mischief and mayhem, along with some not-so-ordinary devices of Buster's own design.

During this short film he completely wrecks a new Rolls Royce, a car that retailed for ten thousand dollars back in the early 20's. Did the Keaton Studios have the budget for the destruction of such a vehicle? Some have conjectured that this might have been the Rolls Royce that Keaton received as a wedding present from his brother-in-law and benefactor, Joe Schenck. Also conjectured is that the scene where he is shoeing a horse and equating it with trying to sell shoes to a finicky female customer could have been a dig at his new wife's excessive clothes shopping. This film was made about a year after his marriage to Natalie Talmadge - a marriage that even started out on very rocky ground, and these would have been the kind of passive-aggressive stunts that Keaton was well known for.

I'd recommend it.

Buster Keaton was nothing short of a genius, in comedy or for anything for that matter. Not just because of his humour hilarious, his charm endearing and his physical comedy enough to make many envious, but also because of how he was never afraid to take risks (his most daring work making the jaw drop) and because he was an unparallelled master when it came to deadpan, a lot of people struggle to do it well but Keaton was brilliant at it.

He did do a lot better than 'The Blacksmith', whether short films or feature films. When it comes to his short films, there is a preference for the likes of 'The Scarecrow', 'The Goat' and 'The Boat', which like a lot of other Keaton outings were much funnier, more imaginative, more daring and played to Keaton's strengths more. His physical comedy has been better served elsewhere as well, to me at least. That sounds like 'The Blacksmith' is bad. Actually, it is definitely worth watching and is well done, just a little underwhelming by inevitably high Keaton standards.

'The Blacksmith' is very thinly plotted and even as a short film it feels a little over-stretched. The romantic subplot is (for a Keaton short and feature film) uncharacteristically bland and feels padded.

For Keaton, 'The Blacksmith' is pretty tame. The pace is not as breakneck compared to most of Keaton's work and the physical comedy not near as daring or inventive. The gags are definitely well constructed and bring a smile to the face but they don't rise above pleasantly amusing.

As said though, this does not mean that 'The Blacksmith' is bad. It is a good looking short film, not among the most technically advanced of Keaton's but it's not primitive either. As said, the gags are pleasant and amusing and are timed well. It is not dull generally, not breakneck but there is energy, and there is an easy-going charm and natural likeability.

Keaton has great comic timing and is easy to endear to, his deadpan "Great Stone Face" acting style, expressive and nuanced as always, having not lost its appeal.

Overall, nice enough but not exceptional. For Keaton, this could have been better. 7/10

And films like this one is why. Its just one laugh after another. This is absolutely one of Keaton's better works. One gag after another, all pulled off as only Keaton could. All things work well. The photography is well done, the continuity is much better than in most films of that day, the sets, the props, the other players, all done well. And I loved the last minute or two of the film. Its just cool. And there is, of course, the destruction of the Rolls Royce. The beautiful new car had been a gift to Keaton from his in-laws. I wonder how funny THEY thought THAT was? I suppose it was cost efficient in the making of the film. But as far as cost efficiency and laughs go this flick is extravagant.