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Busy Bodies (1933)
Some of Ollie's most eloquent looks at the camera
The other reviewers have pretty much summarized the plot line and gags in this outstanding L&H short. For me it contains the most eloquent of all Ollie's looks at the camera in his films.
Ollie is bending over, and Stanley manages to plane a large strip of fabric off of Ollie's backside. This results in Ollie's incredulous look at the camera. Then in classic L&H fashion, he continues to stay bent over, waiting to see what Stanley will do. Stanley gets some glue, slathers it on the strip of fabric, and then smooths it down nicely on Ollie's rump, and pats it, signaling to Ollie that all is well. During this sequence Ollie continues to stare at the camera, and the sequence of his expressions is priceless. It's a distillation of all the takes Ollie has ever made toward the camera.
This is a delightfully funny short.
Dieu est Américain (2007)
Interesting ethnography, but dumb narration
The ethnography is interesting. The narration is ignorant, fatuous. and condescending. Cargo cults are common on a number of islands in Melanesia (e.g., Worsley, P. "Cargo Cults of Melanesia." Scientific American. 1 May 1959. Search for this online to see the article, since url's are not permitted in reviews.)
Cargo cults have existed for over 150 years. They all are similar in that they anticipate the return of some American(s) bringing "cargo" (desired riches), commonly in association with someone named "John Frum" (= John from...) who will bring the "cargo". Many cargo cults have traditionally believed that when the cargo comes, blacks will be turned into whites and vice versa. The idea that the US Navy would be sending someone-- today -- to Tanna to search for a lost WW2 airman named John Frum is absurd, and makes fools of both the islanders and the audience. Fortunately, the interesting video and comments of the islanders outweigh the dumb narration/ storyline.