Title: The General
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Starring actors: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack
Number on the AFI list: 18
Year: 1927
Sometimes it's fun to look at the Union as the enemy! Based on true events from the Civil War, The General is about a locomotive engineer, Johnnie Gray, who was denied the chance to enlist in the Confederate army because he was invaluable to the South as a train operator. He of course proves his worthiness to be a soldier-and to win the girl!-as he singlehandedly chases down Union soldiers, discovers their battle plans, and returns to the South (girl in tow) in order to warn the Confederacy of the upcoming attack from the North. (I don't know about you, but I'm thinking Captain America could have gotten some inspiration from this movie with the whole you-can't-join-us-but-then-you-prove-you're-worthy plot).
Stonefaced Keaton is as funny as they come. Slapstick schticks like sitting on the coupling rods of a train as it slowly moves away and death defying stunts as Keaton literally runs and jumps and climbs over the train like an expert stole the show for me.
One has to wonder how slow the trains were actually going and if they sped up the footage later (probably), but it was fun to watch nonetheless. Beyond the humor was great storytelling. The plot was easy to follow and smoothly transitioned, with each scene building intensity like a runaway train. It was also fun to watch this movie for a brief moment with my roommate, Rachel, who's exclamations expressed what everyone would be thinking at each moment: "He's so dumb!" "It's only one guy!" "What are they doing?" "She's curvy!" (Yes, shout out to Marion Mack who didn't have to succumb to Hollywood body standards).
It's interesting to note that during this time of Hollywood history, the rise of the movie star was taking place with Keaton and Charlie Chaplin being the two biggest names of this day and age. Also at this time neither of them were hired by any of the major movie companies- MGM, Warner Bros, Universal, or Paramount. They were true indie filmmakers way back in the beginning of Hollywood.
Favorite scene: The moment linked above.
Least favorite scene: I don't have one!
Will I watch it again?: Yes.
For your viewing pleasure:
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