4 Star

The Age Old Problem, Love.

Three Ages may be one-hundred years old, but the subject is ageless, love and how to acquire it. Three Ages is a first for Keaton, as he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in it. As usual, Keaton provides us with comic genius, in his timing, his death defying stunts, and his slapstick acrobatics. Three Ages is a silent classic from the genius of his time, Buster Keaton (BUSTER KEATON – The Complete Short Films 1917-1923, Buster Keaton: 3 Films (Volume 3), Buster Keaton 3 Films, Buster Keaton : The Saphead (Masters of Cinema), Buster Keaton: 3 Films (Volume 2)).

Father Time

Love is the unchanging axis on which the world revolves. Stone Age, Roman Age, Modern Age (1923)

The players are the same, it is time that changes, as beauty is part of yesterday, today and forever, in every age beauty is sought by the adventurer. Through every age, there is the faithful worshipper at beauty’s shrine.

The girl’s father – Joe Roberts (Our Hospitality, The Primitive Lover)

The girl’s mother – Lillian Lawrence (East Is West, The Voice from the Minaret)

The villain – Wallace Beery (Dinner at Eight, Grand Hotel)

The girl – Margaret Leahy

The boy (Buster Keaton)

The Stone Age, and the first priority is strength and fortitude, these are two things that the boy does not possess. A father must try and find the right suitor for his daughter, and the size of (Beery) puts him at the front of the cue. The boy is determined to undermine (Beery)’s character, and he searches for a way to get the girl he loves.

The Roman Age, and the priority is political and military standing and once again our wimpy boy has neither of these traits. He muddles his way about trying to get noticed by the girl as her father favours the villain who is high up in the military. It seems that the villain has a lot of friends that are willing him keep the boy out of the way.

The Modern Age, In this era it is the mother that looks out for her daughter and cash is king, and you guessed it, the boy is skint and the villain is on Wall St. So mother is very happy with that arrangement, but true love must intervene.

Can our boy win the love of his lives through the ages? Spend a fun filled seventy minutes watching the master at work. Keaton never fails to enthral with his skills and death defying stunts.

BUSTER KEATON: THREE AGES (Masters of Cinema) Special Edition is available on Blu-ray.