THE GENERAL Movie Review

1926 Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Buster Keaton is the forgotten genius of American silent films and this Civil War comedy is his masterpiece. In terms of plot, execution, pace, humor, and philosophy, it is as relevant and enjoyable now as it was when it was made in 1927. Viewed simply as a war film, it is the polar opposite of Birth of a Nation. Where Griffith's picture is long, sentimental, and historically dubious, Keaton's is short, skeptical, and relatively accurate. At least, it's based on a real event and its anti-war sentiments are much more deeply felt.

In the pre-war South, Johnnie Gray (Keaton) has “two great loves in his life.” One is his railroad engine named “The General”; the other is Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). The problem is that the girl is a dewy-eyed romantic Southern belle while Johnnie is a down-to-earth sort who's a terrific engineer. When they learn the news about Fort Sumpter, her brothers and father immediately enlist, and she demands the same of Johnnie. He agrees and hightails it to the recruiting office, but is turned down when the Confederates realize how important his current work is. But Johnnie doesn't know that key piece of information. Annabelle Lee concludes he's a coward and Johnnie thinks that somehow, he doesn't measure up. Those misunderstandings generate the rest of the comedy.

Some years later, with the war at its height, the despicable Yankee spy Capt. Anderson (Glen Cavender) steals The General and tries to sabotage the South's railroad system. He also kidnaps Annabelle Lee, and Johnnie sets off in pursuit. The resulting chase is an extended series of brilliantly choreographed comic set pieces. It's carefully timed, intricate physical humor, which will not be revealed here—that's why you want to watch the film—but it's not giving away too much to say that many of the jokes and gags in the first half are repeated with extra twists in the second half. Underlying both the comedy and the plot is Keaton's deadpan, apolitical approach.

Though Southerners are the nominal heroes, the film's real point of view is antiauthoritarian. The generals, officers, and true believers on both sides are the real buffoons. The engineers—both Union and Confederate—are the heroes, intentional or not. They're the common men who pay attention to the work that needs to be done and go about it, often oblivious to the vast destruction that's taking place around them. In Keaton's world that makes them heroic clowns.

Don't forget that Buster Keaton was the Jackie Chan of his day. The man did all of his own stunts—and many of them were genuinely dangerous. Notice the way the engine's wheels lose traction and spin on the rails after the train has been stolen. It's not an uncommon sight. Now remember that just a few minutes before, Keaton was sitting on the drive shaft between those steel wheels when they started moving. He could have been killed in the scene. (Keaton actually broke his neck while taking a fall in another film, Sherlock Jr.) His efforts to achieve realism on the screen extend to the famous conclusion, which is accomplished without special effects. What you see on screen really happened.

For various reasons, Keaton's films have never been as popular or as influential as those of his contemporary, Charlie Chaplin. Somehow, they don't seem as polished. The General has a particularly raucous, free-wheeling quality when compared to Chaplin's work. It's tempting to say that the film has aged well, but that's not really the case. Viewers have caught up to Keaton. We've experienced even more destructive wars than the one he is describing, and so his ideas hit even closer to home. And his clear-eyed, unsentimental approach to comedy ought to find a much larger and more receptive audience today.

Of all the silent and early sound films mentioned in this book, The General is the one that ought to be restored and re-released theatrically. It really is that good.

Cast: Buster Keaton (Johnnie Gray), Marion Mack (Annabelle Lee), Glen Cavender (Capt. Anderson), Jim Farley (Gen. Thatcher), Joe Keaton (Union General), Frederick Vroom (Southern General), Charles Smith (Mr. Lee), Frank Barnes (His son), Mike Donlin (Union General); Written by: Clyde Bruckman, Al Boasberg, Charles Henry Smith, Buster Keaton; Cinematography by: Bert Haines, Devereaux Jennings. Producer: Buster Keaton, Joseph Schenck, United Artists. Awards: National Film Registry '89. Running Time: 78 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta, LV, 8mm.