In this one, Keaton plays a New Yorker who journeys to the Antebellum south to claim his father's estate, only to discover that he is heir to a long-standing feud a la the Hatfields and McCoys (here the "Canfields" and "McCays"). This sure will complicate his romance with the daughter of his feudin' buddies! Things start off extremely slow, especially once Buster boards a coal-train which you expect is just a plot set-up, but which turns out to be the centerpiece of the film's first half, as the train goes hilariously slow (it's even outrun by a dog) and innumerable ridiculous obstacles present themselves. It's certainly a brilliant level of absurdity to have someone in the 1920s making fun of technology from the 1850s. The second part of the movie concerns Buster being chased by the Canfields, narrowly escaping each attempt on his life, usually by accident. A "rushing river/waterfall" scenario turns out to be totally impressive (though much more intriguing than funny). Not the best Buster Keaton movie, but certainly worth a look. It's a bit more quaint and clever than knee-slappin' hysterical, which is probably to be expected … same would hold true of a slapstick comedy today mining the rich comedic terrain of the 1930s.
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