The High Sign (Buster Keaton, 1921)

Realism

• The High Sign focuses on “The Blinking Blizzards” who appear to be a 1920s gang. The representation of gangs in this film is realistic to the time period as the disillusionment felt by ex-soldiers after World War I led to many taking on violent and corrupt lifestyles as they struggled to re-join conventional society.
• Early 20th century social conventions are also portrayed accurately in this film through the juxtaposition of the exterior surroundings of the poor and the rich. The upper class elderly gentleman and his daughter appear to live in a rich home that carries a luxurious essence due to the posh furniture and butler working for them whereas the working class men hideout in the basement of a shooting range in a room that is scarcely furnished and dusty.
• The gentleman’s house is full of moving walls and trap doors which is undoubtedly unwonted; however, these traps cannot be deemed unrealistic or expressionistic as we watch them get constructed and are shown how they work. The traps and moving walls, whilst unusual, have been achieved authentically rather than through expressionistic film elements such as editing or effects.
  

Expressionism

• Exaggerated mise-en-scene is used in a sequence showing Keaton struggle with a newspaper that appears to be never-ending as it continuously unfolds for comedic effect.
• After the butler tips an unknown substance secretly into Keaton’s drink and he sips it, he looks into the cup and sees a reflection of a horse kicking its rear legs. The post-production effect is extremely expressionistic and is used to present the idea that the substance is causing Keaton to experience hallucinations.
• Towards the end of the film as the Blinking Blizzards members chase Keaton through the house, a shot appears to show 4 rooms at once. The frame is split into 4 quarters each showing a room in the house; the characters switch from one quarter of the frame to another by moving into each room. This unusual technique is being used to emphasise the gag of the house’s traps and also the repetitive routine the characters take from one room to another.