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Go West

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description Go West Overview

Go West is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The feature film follows a character named Friendless who travels west and finds work on a cattle ranch, where he develops an unlikely bond with a cow named Brown Eyes. The film is distinguished by Keaton's characteristically physical comedy style and culminates in a large-scale sequence involving thousands of cattle running through the streets of Los Angeles. Go West combines Keaton's deadpan performance with western genre parodies and impressive technical achievements in staging complex cattle sequences.

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What is the relationship between Buster Keaton and the cow in Go West?

In Go West, Buster Keaton plays a character known only as Friendless, who travels west and takes a job on a cattle ranch. He forms a deep, comedic bond with a gentle brown cow named Brown Eyes, who becomes his closest companion and ultimately saves his life.

What is the famous cattle drive sequence in Go West?

The climax of the film features a massive sequence where Friendless must round up hundreds of cattle scattered through the streets of Los Angeles. Keaton uses an array of props, including a devil's costume and a red flag, to herd the cattle, creating one of the most spectacular gags of his career.

How does Go West parody the Western genre?

Rather than playing a tough gunslinger, Keaton's character is a timid outcast who fails at being a cowboy and is nearly fired. The film subverts Western tropes by having the hero rely on friendship and animal empathy rather than violence to solve his problems.

When was Go West released and how long is it?

Go West was released in 1925 as a feature-length film. It has a runtime of about 69 minutes and was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

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