'The General' (Buster Keaton, 1926)

Title: 'The General'

Release Year: 1926

Director: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman.

Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack.

Plot: After the war arrives in the USA and the army considers that Johnny Gray (Keaton) should stay in the rearguard instead of enrolling, he will do anything to prove to his love (Anabelle, Marion Mack) that he's not a coward and that he deserves her love.

Review: Keaton was, together with Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest comedians of his age. And he proves it with this movie. His specialty? The laughs.

Yes, even though he may not reach the emotional level of his profession mate, everyone must agree that 'The General' is nothing but purely funny. Starting with the quite dumb protagonist and following with the great control that Keaton had over body expression, which demonstrate again how good slapstick comedy could be.

Buster Keaton, another comedy genius of cinema's early age

Another positive aspect is the music and 'score'. Even though the second one repeats over and over again, a silent film without background music is an anticipated suicide. Moreover, some of the sound effects are so ridiculous that they add another touch of humor to the movie (the "piuuuuuum" made by the bullet, my favourite).

The only important detail I didn't like was the now so old "man-needs-to-prove-his-courage-to-get-the-girl" story. But anyway, I suppose that was quite fashionable 80 years ago. What it's incontestable is that she (as the majority of female characters those days) is way more superficial than him and represents the complainer and vain woman prototype, Always looking for the man to save her and demanding him things... Surely it was the only role model then but still drives me crazy how useless she could be sometimes.

However, thanks to the profit that Keaton made of such a simple story (him, a locomotive and a kidnapping), the hilarious time you have with it, the union of music and special effects and the innocent, funny ending, 'The General' is an outstanding action comedy of cinema's early days that I really enjoyed.

Buster Keaton in 'The General' memorable scene