Customer Reviews

The General

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are other versions of "The General" available on DVD and any would be preferable to this one. It's picture quality is muddy and the score is simply a washover of everything from "Pomp and Circumstance" to Borodin to Bizet, none of it selected with the slightest appropriateness to what is going on on the screen. True, you can watch it without the sound, but why? Even at this low price, to be avoided.

If anyone could have made a comedy about the American Civil War and pulled it off, it was BUSTER KEATON. This is one of the all time classic silent comedies. Buster plays a steadfast trainman whose loyalty is with his girl and the South, but fate manages to throw their plans assunder. Rejected from the service because he was too valuable to the Confederacy as an engineer. Branded a coward, Buster manages to become the hero in a roundabout way. Look for classic routines like Keaton frantically trying to find his shoes in a hopelessly tangled pile of footwear, trying to load a cannon with limited success and finally, being promoted to an officer and having brigades of soldiers salute him, all the while he trying to kiss his true love. Granted, Civil War purists will fault some of the technical points, such as uniforms and weapons, but for once, OVERLOOK IT and enjoy the film! Even if it was 100% authentic, it is still a treasure worth seeing.

Quite simply, The General is HILARIOUS! Although I am generally not a huge fan of silent movies (I prefer the classic sound films), The General is an exception. Way ahead of its time, this film was not initially well recieved and was a big flop, but it is now considered by many to be Buster Keaton's finest film. Overall, the General is truly a showcase of Keaton's brilliance as a comedian and stuntman.

The General is set in the Civil War. Basically, it is the story of an engineer named Johnny Gray who, after being rejected from serving in the Southern army and consequently not being able to marry his sweetheart (she will only have him if he is in the army), finds himself engaged in a huge chase to get his train back after it is stolen from him by a small group of Northerers. The chase is hilarious - it has often been imitated, but nothing can compare to the original - and Keaton's expressions, especially his famous deadpan expression, are hysterical.

Anyhow, this classic comedy is a must-see. Keaton's antics are great, and it is amazing to think that he did all his daredevil stunts in an era where special effects were nonexistent (if you wanted to crash a train off a bridge, you actually had to do it)! The General is perfect for the whole family (this is my 11 year old brother's favorite movie, he has seen it at least 100 times) and is a real treat to watch. I don't know how else to recommend this - get it and enjoy!

I asked myself two simple questions after viewing this film: Was it worth making? Could it possibly have been made any better? The answers are, respectively, yes and no. It's one of the greatest of movies, and maybe the best pure comedy of all time. I won't even point out my favorite moments, because, particularly with Keaton, half the joy is in the discovery (not just the humor, but the audacity -- "How did he DO that??").

By the way, silent movies are generally in much better shape -- and scored much more tolerably -- than the versions we saw 30 years ago. Still, there's no reason not to turn off the sound and get off on the sound of your own laughter!

Buster Keaton is a genius of silent movies and this film is a precious gem in his collection. The situation is serious since we are in the Secession War, on the southern side, and Buster Keaton is a train engineer. He saves a particularly dangerous situation witrh his chase of the train hijacked by northern spies and then his rescue of his love and his being chased this time by the northerners. He succeeds in burning a bridge that will cause a complete change of balance of power in favor of his southern side. He will also take part in the ensuing battle and carry the day. He will be made a lieutenant and will conquer the love of his belle in the most beautiful way. His antics are not funny but used systematically to increase the suspense of the situation and the dramatic depth of the plot. That change of comic elements into dramatic and even tragic elements is the sign of the most perfect art displayed by Buster Keaton with the simplicity and modesty that are his by nature. His serious stance, him never laughing of course, emphasizes this deepening of a human dilemma in the most convincing way.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Not much new can be said about THE GENERAL. It is Buster's masterpiece and one of the greatest movies ever made. No debate. Buster was at the peak of his career, in the perfect vehicle with complete creative control. When all aspects are considered, such as authenticity, stunts, the story flow etc. A very strong case can be made for calling The General the greatest movie ever made. To really enjoy The General, read about it and then, view it several times.

This tape also includes Cops and The Playhouse. COPS is one of Buster's best and funniest shorts. There are many great chases with hundreds of cops. THE PLAYHOUSE is one of his most inventive. Buster plays multiple characters simultaneously.

Without a doubt one of the greatest movies of all time. I won't say much about the content because there is a ton of info on The General everywhere. The General is considered to be Buster's masterpiece. And it is. No hype. I've watched The General more times than I can count. This is a wonderful movie.

"The General" is a film that is so well-paced and well-crafted, you don't even realize you've been watching a film that is an hour and a half in length. This is easily one of the best comedies ever made (silent or otherwise) and among my favorite films of all time. Buster Keaton plays Johnnie Gray, a train engineer in the south during the Civil War. Johnnie's two loves in his life are his train, The General, and his girl, Annabelle. Imagine the horror when, after a daring plot by Union army spies, Johnnie's train is hijacked and his girl is kidnapped in the process. It's Johnnie to the rescue as he gives chase by another train to save his beloved General, get the girl, and maybe even become a hero. With an ever-present blank expression on his mug, Keaton treats the viewer to feats of daring, physical comedy. The movie itself zooms from gag to gag as if riding a train from station to station. And what a delightful ride it is.

Its not for nothing this movie is considered one of the top 10 movies of all time. It holds up well even for repeated viewing. Amazon's offer features a sort of random classical soundtrack that one would be advised to turn off and substitute a scott joplin cd or something as I found a definite lack of "synchronicity" with the supplied music and the on screen action. Bravo Buster! True genius!

The General is one of my favorite Buster Keaton movies. I remembered a sequence where he has a half and half uniform to get past an area where the Union army is on one side of the landscape the train is on and the Confederates are on the other. It is not present in this tape! I looked up in imdb.com, and sure enough, this movie is only 75 minutes while the original is 80 minutes. BIG bummer.

I thought The Playhouse was an utter bore and turned off the tape. I have seen Cops before and it is another of my favorites and look forward to seeing it.

(I also wish amazon would list the running times.)