The General

Most of this review is going to be talking about Buster Keaton. Why? Because except for one incredible, destructive scene near the end, this movie is all Buster Keaton. I've read it said that a big part of the appeal of The General is in its humanity and affective drama. I tend to disagree, as the romantic and nationalistic plots seem to only exist for the sake of setting up a framework within which the stunts and visual gags can take place. Then again, that may simply be because right away, in the title cards, you are told that everything's going to work out fine. With the confident assurance that a happy ending is nigh, all there is to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Watching The General isn't like watching most other movies. The closest thing I can compare it to how I felt on late Saturday afternoons growing up, watching The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show. The General is a cartoon, made all the more impressive by the fact that it is grounded in the performance of a real human being, subject to all of the laws and restrictions of motion and physics. It wouldn't be possible to crush Buster Keaton with a mallet or fall off of a cliffside, but we still feel that same wonder to see him clamoring all over his beloved train. Watching Keaton's work in this movie has a similar bizarre experience to it. Traditionally, when you're entertained by someone in a movie, you say that it is because they are a good actor. But, with Keaton, it's not his necessarily his ability to emote that you feel charmed by, it's his ability to perform these ridiculous, over-the-top gags with an incredible, creative athleticism and his dedication to performing said stunts while still in character that make this movie such a pleasure to watch.

Somewhere between a cartoon and a circus lies The General.

Rating: 3.5 stars