The General (1927)
Grade: 82
"The General" is a silent film starring Buster Keaton. It is his most ambitious work, and probably his best.
"The General" takes place during the Civil War. Keaton is an Southern engineer who has two loves: his steam train and his girlfriend. Because of his occupation, he is refused conscription. He loses his girlfriend, as her family considers him a coward.
One day, Northern agents steal his beloved train. In a long chase scene, he follows the agents North in a second train. He later manages to recapture the train and begins the journey back South, but this time he is being chased, by Northern soldiers in their steam train. Keaton also gets involved in a Civil War battle fought over a bridge.
All the Keaton hallmarks are in "The General." He plays an ordinary man forced by events to perform heroic feats to win his true love (who, by an amazing coincidence, has been taken hostage by the same Yankee agents who swiped his train). There are several excellent gags (my favorite has Keaton having all sorts of problems loading lumber on a train car) and one magnificent stunt (a steam train collapses a burning bridge).
But there are differences between this and other Keaton films. There is fine cinematography of steam trains and Civil War armies in the field. Keaton's love of trains and railways is evident. The extended "chase" scenes build dramatic tension and are fascinating in the multiple obstacles that Keaton's character must overcome.
Some people consider Keaton to be as important a silent film director as Chaplin. I can't agree with this. Several Chaplin films were clearly better than "The General". Chaplin's tramp character is more charismatic and had greater emotional range. Also, Chaplin had a greater social awareness: he was trying to make a statement as well as to make you laugh.
http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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