"Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow" is a good overview and examination of the life and films of Buster Keaton. It covers the height of his career during the silent film era as well as his later work in movies and television--including some interesting movies that recalled the silent cinema, but also commercials and lousy roles he did just for the money. The makers of this three-part documentary, Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, also made "Unknown Chaplin", which had as its most interesting aspect cut footage from Chaplin's films. "Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow" doesn't have that benefit, but it's still an interesting, albeit more traditional, documentary series.
I think they did rather well in connecting the filmmaker's films with his life--that Keaton's films are supposedly a reflection of his life, at least in part. For example, Keaton's "My Wife's Relations" reflects his own marital troubles at the time, or how his drunkenness visibly appeared in some of his early talkies. This documentary series is itself Keaton's life on film, or at least one version of it.
Overall, it's a good glimpse at Keaton's life, with some insightful interviews from the people who knew him. Additionally, there are some nice observations on Keaton's films, including examination of some of the dangerous stunts (such as in "Our Hospitality") and visual marvels (such as in "The Playhouse"), as well as Keaton's improvisational talents and comic intuition perfected over a lifetime of being funny.
I think they did rather well in connecting the filmmaker's films with his life--that Keaton's films are supposedly a reflection of his life, at least in part. For example, Keaton's "My Wife's Relations" reflects his own marital troubles at the time, or how his drunkenness visibly appeared in some of his early talkies. This documentary series is itself Keaton's life on film, or at least one version of it.
Overall, it's a good glimpse at Keaton's life, with some insightful interviews from the people who knew him. Additionally, there are some nice observations on Keaton's films, including examination of some of the dangerous stunts (such as in "Our Hospitality") and visual marvels (such as in "The Playhouse"), as well as Keaton's improvisational talents and comic intuition perfected over a lifetime of being funny.