One Week by Buster Keaton

 Buster Keaton generally avoided using title cards in his films, yet when he did, alliteration was popularised in the era of silent comedy, this is why Keaton utilises sibilance with "such a sweet sound but such a sour echo" as well as antithesis.

In this film Keaton uses his small stature to provide commentary that him and his wife are both equal in the relationship, which is unfortunately quite an uncommon and progressive concept in the 1920's. In the opening sequence, Keaton relies on a prop to deliver a joke which satirises the tradition of throwing shoes before the newly weds. Of course, there is a chase scene which is very typical considering the era of silent comedy. 

The narrative is relatively simple and definitely linear- Keaton and his new wife are gifted a portable flat pack house in which they must build themselves, yet Hank, "The fellow she turned down" sabotages the construction (which ultimately results in the house referring to Cubism in the house's shape and structure). Although it is a very simple narrative with continuity/invisible editing, Keaton actually breaks the fourth wall in the film which is quite a modern technique used today. As Keaton is obeying the two dimensional concept by climbing up a ladder, Sybil Seely is in the bath. The framing is of course a mid shot, and when she drops the bar of soap she must lean over to retrieve it. She looks directly at the camera as Keaton's hand covers the lens, allowing Seely to collect her soap without exposing herself. Once again, framing and props play an essential role in the narrative. Another example, which also relies on two-dimensional framing and a prop is when buster tries to drive away with the house attached to the car. The joke of the car detaching relies on the mid-shot front facing framing.  

The prop, which soon becomes known as "the spinning house" is the key prop and star of the film which also contains one of the few cuts in the film. Keaton tended to avoid cuts because he believed in Bazin's realism theory in relation to stunts. Keaton liked to do his stunts in long shots to show everything without editing. This can be seen in his first infamous shot of the house falling on him as he is stood perfectly positioned so his body fits through the window. 

The best shot to use as an example of Keatons use of framing is the end sequence. The couple realises their house is on the train tracks before cutting to the only close up in the film of the train, establishing the prop. The camera switches to a long shot as the train comes charging at their house, yet at the last moment the camera beautifully pans slightly to the right to reveal the train misses their house. The camera then pans slowly back to the right to reveal their relief. As Keaton usually does, he gets one more joke in. The camera cuts back to a long mid-shot which has them portraying their relief through non-verbal communication. We are once again brought back to a long shot as the train comes back into the framing from the right, this time hitting their house.