DVD Review: Another restoration of Keaton's "Our Hospitality"

Kino Lorber has released another restoration of Buster Keaton's 1923 classic feature "Our Hospitality." The most recent blu ray on this title from Kino was a 2011 release that was then hailed as "the definitive version." Well, not quite. This latest release offers a new 2K restoration offering even sharper image and some new special features.

"Our Hospitality" was only Buster Keaton's second feature-length movie, and it shows how he was already successfully building upon the ideas he'd created and executed in his short films. It fully exhibits his understanding of cinema's form and function and his creative use of props. It offers stunts that remain breathtaking nearly 100 years later. The locomotive he designed for "Our Hospitality" was the portent to his even more ambitious film "The General."

The plot of "Our Hospitality" features Keaton using the Hatfield-McCoy feud as a basis for his narrative. Now making films in longer form, Keaton explores the use of a dramatic basis for his comedy, which is also a harbinger to his masterpiece "The General." Keaton's cynical approach was the antithesis of Chaplin's sentimentality, but while he eschews pathos, Keaton still plays characters that are layered and sympathetic, even with his economy of facial nuance.

Keaton cast his then-wife Natalie Talmadge as his co-star, and also featured his actor father Joe Keaton in a role. His beloved heavy, Big Joe Roberts, who had made such an impact in so many of Keaton's short films, suffered a stroke on the set of this movie, but insisted on completing it after a short recovery period. He died only months later, so this marks his final film with Buster.

Kino's new release of "Our Hospitality" significantly includes an important special feature, the rare 1947 Buster Keaton film "Un duel à mort (A Duel to the Death)." Until this blu ray release, the Cinematheque in Paris was the only place once could see that film. So, this alone is worth the purchase of the upgrade, even if you are double-dipping and already have the 2011 release.

This latest blu ray also features commentary by Farran Smith Nehme and Imogen Sara Smith. This reviewer has written three books on Buster Keaton's work, so I am quite familiar with his background and artistry. The commentary provided here is informative, enlightening, interesting, and entertaining, by two of the most astute film historians currently active.

The scoring on the latest release is provided by the Robert Israel orchestra, and offers a special feature documentary on the film's scoring. There is also a presentation by Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films, who provided the pre-print material, and an essay booklet by Jeffrey Vance. One item that is featured on both this and the previous blu ray release is the Al St. John short "The Iron Mule," directed by Roscoe Arbuckle and featuring Keaton's train design from "Our Hospitality."

It should be noted that Kino's previous blu ray release of "Our Hospitality" did include the fascinating 45 minute alternate cut of the movie, entitled simply "Hospitality." This is a wonderful discovery and a priceless piece of film, and is not featured in this new release.

It is great that Buster Keaton's importance is at such a level, there are several releases of his films, from various companies, at different levels of quality restoration. This latest KINO release of "Our Hospitality" truly is the best looking print yet, and the inclusion of "Un duel à mort (A Duel to the Death)" makes it an absolute must.

The latest Kino blu ray is available here: Our Hospitality