rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1927
Directed by Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman; produced by Buster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenk; written by Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
Starring Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Charles Henry Smith
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
'The General' is a great feature film starring Buster Keaton. It feels a lot
different from his short movies he made a couple of years earlier and
although those were really nice I think it is a good thing this movie is not
like that at all. May be not everyone will agree on this but most people
will agree with me when I say this is one of the greatest silent comedies
ever.
Although there are generals in this movie, that has the Civil War as
background, the title refers to a locomotive. The locomotive is one of
Johnny Gray's (Buster Keaton) loves in his life, the other is Annabelle Lee
(Marion Mack). When the Civil War comes to their town he wants to enlist but
they say he is more helpful as a (Southern) railway engineer. Annabelle Lee
does not believe him and doesn't want to speak to him until he wears a
uniform.
His General is stolen by Union spies. Johnny Gray arranges another
locomotive, the Texas, and the chase can begin. Johnny is unaware of the
fact that Annabelle Lee is also on board of his General, as a Union
prisoner, so he is not only taking his General back but he is also saving
his girl. One great sequence after another unfolds on the screen, with
Keaton always in the middle of it.
This is one of the best silent movie I have seen. I guess it is better than
most of Chaplin's work, or may be it just aged better. Considering the time
it was made this was a very expensive movie, and you can see that. Without
giving too much away I will say that there are some great sequences
involving the moving locomotives, and one terrific sequence in particular
with the Civil War right behind Keaton. With a lot of laughs, a perfect
silent story, terrific sequences and an always enjoyable Keaton you will not
be bored watching this.