Neighbors (1920)
Plot: This is a two-reel silent comedy short film starring the master of deadpan comedy, Buster Keaton. The story is essentially a "Romeo and Juliet" scenario set in a bustling tenement neighborhood. Buster Keaton plays "The Boy" and Virginia Fox plays "The Girl," two young lovers whose families are bitter enemies, constantly feuding over a simple wooden fence that separates their two backyards. Despite the constant arguing, the young couple finds inventive, acrobatic ways to communicate and be together, such as passing love letters through a knothole in the fence. The conflicts escalate through slapstick fights, a chaotic courtroom scene, and a disastrous wedding attempt broken up by the Girl's father. In the climax, Buster executes dazzling stunts to rescue his love, culminating in a final chase that leads to an impromptu—and successful—wedding.
