Rating: 
Summary: The Definitive Civil War Epic
Review: William Pittenger's 1863 book "The Great Locomotive Chase" became the inspiration for Buster Keaton's greatest film. Released in 1927, "The General" was far removed from the world of silent-movie slapstick. Unfortunately, Keaton's masterpiece received an initially cold response from critics and audiences, which led to the loss of Buster's creative independence. Even at his peak, Keaton's cinematic ambition was overlooked. Though Charlie Chaplin shot "The Gold Rush" (1925) largely in the studio, most of "The General" was filmed in Oregon. In his quest for perfection, Keaton told his crew, "It's got to be so authentic it hurts." The result is the definitive Civil War epic, with a photographic naturalism reminiscent of Mathew Brady. An inventive chase through history, "The General" showcases Keaton's mastery of props and characterization. However, to fully appreciate this classic, one must track down the excellent Thames presentation released by HBO Video in 1989 -- featuring a superb score by Carl Davis and a high-quality 35mm nitrate print. Though the HBO/Thames version is difficult to find, it remains superior to the Kino edition.
Rating:
Summary: Buster Keaton at his best!
Review: Fort Sumpter is attacked and Johnny Gray, a railroad engineer, sets out to enlist in the confederate army to appease the girl he loves, Annabelle. He is refused because of his potential value to the South as an engineer, but the recruiters fail to tell him this information, and it is assumed that he is too cowardly to enlist. And so he must prove himself to his love. A year later when some Union spies hi-jack a train, Johnny's opportunity arrives and here is where Keaton's inventiveness shines. The stunts are spectacular and hilarious and Keaton's interplay with his train and the obstacles that present themselves during the action sequences are brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Adults Will Enjoy It; Kids Will Love It
Review: I won't go into a plot summary of Buster Keaton's 1927 masterwork "The General." If you've bothered looking up this movie on Amazon.com, by now you probably already know the story--it's based on a true incident that occurred during the U.S. Civil War.
I purchased this DVD as a Christmas present for my sister's family. My brother-in-law and she have a two-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy. To say my nephew is OBSESSED with trains would be a gross understatement. I figured the kids weren't old enough to get bugged out by the fact it was a silent movie. Couple that with my nephew's aforementioned love of trains and this DVD practically bought itself.
I watched "The General" with them last night and the kiddies absolutely LOVED it! In fact, they were acting out scenes of the movie after we finished our viewing. My nephew played the part of Johnnie Gray, while my niece--decked out in her pink princess outfit--was Annabelle Lee. His new toy train was "The General", in case you were wondering.
The movie itself is short (75 minutes), but it is centered around two exciting chase sequences involving Johnnie Gray and a gaggle of Northern spies who inadvertantly hold Johnnie's gal Annabelle hostage on his beloved train "The General." The action scenes are brilliantly choreographed and lovingly filmed, as you feel like you're watching a Matthew Brady photo of the U.S. Civil War.
Keaton's famous deadpan expression ("The Great Stone Face") holds up well in this age of irony. Unlike like other silent film actors he never resorts to overacting (by today's standards, at least), nor does he fall prey to the sentimentalism that marred some of Chaplin's work.
Furthermore, it is clear from the film that Keaton was something of a train buff. You really get a feel for the steam-engine locomotives and how they work. Train aficionados from ages two to 92 will get a kick out of this movie.
An added bonus of "The General" is the fact that parents can read the story lines out to their kids and explain the movie's action without interrupting any precious dialogue. Needless to say, there is no dialogue!
One thing of note is that the film is set in 1861 and Johnnie is allied with the Confederacy. Some parents may have a few qualms about "the good guys" fighting on the side of slavery (my niece said the Northern spies needed to "take a time-out"), but Keaton wisely sidesteps any political issues and simply presents an action-packed story that will keep the adults amused and the kiddies on the edges of their seats.
This is a movie I'm looking forward to watching again and again. If you're a film buff or if you simply want to keep your youngsters entertained, "The General" is the movie for you.
Rating: 
Summary: ONE OF THE MOST COMPLETE SILENT MOVIES OF ALL TIME.
Review: "The General" is a silent movie, starred by the fantastic Buster Keaton, widely considered as one of the greatest, if not the best silent movie of all time.
The film is set during the U.S.A. Civil War. Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is a Southern engineer of a train engine named "The General". When the war starts, Johnnie's love interest, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) invites him to enlist in the Confederate Army, but he is rejected by the war office because he is too valuable as an engineer. When Annabelle knows this, she thinks that Johnnie is a yellow and immediately stops talking to him. Months later, the Northern decides to steal "The General", taking Annabelle in the process.
The next segments are two of the most impressing sequences ever filmed, Johnnie chases his own train engine to rescue his beloved Annabelle, and after he reaches her, they now must escape in "The General". The acrobatic chases in the rails are without a doubt the heart of the movie, and proof of the athletic ability of Buster Keaton. "The General" is the testimony of the greatness of one of the most legendary movie heroes, the fantastic Buster Keaton.
Rating:
Summary: "This fellow Keaton seems to be the whole show!"
Review: The first time I watched Buster Keaton's Civil War movie, THE GENERAL, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hate the film, but it didn't exactly grab me as one of the "greatest films of all time" as the front of the DVD cover states. When gearing up to review this disc, I decided to pop the film back into the player to refresh my memory and to take a few notes. No notes were taken; I ended up glued to the screen, and didn't write down a single thing. I'm not sure what was different that second time. Maybe I knew not to expect an out-and-out comedy. THE GENERAL isn't a series of constant knee-slappers; rather it's more of a comic action-adventure. And once I got myself into that frame of mind, I was able to enjoy the film for what it is: a great romance-comedy-action-adventure. On top of the fun story and the zany sight gags, the film just looks great. The cinematography is superb. Just look at that scene of Buster Keaton obliviously chopping wood on the back of his train while passing by two separate groups of Civil War battalions. The soldiers are moving in one direction. The train is moving in the other. The camera slowly tracks along beside Buster's train, not quite matching the speed, allowing us to concentrate both on the foreground and on the march in the background. I can't imagine it was easy to get this shot, but Keaton's perfectionism was to the film's great benefit. Speaking of the train (the title refers to one of two loves in the life of Keaton's character, his girlfriend, and the train he's an engineer on, "The General"), it's clear to see Buster Keaton's love for our locomotive friends. You'd never believe that the train chase sequences could possibly be as exciting as they are, but Keaton uses all of his skill as a director to ensure that they are. Put together, the two train chases make up a significant amount of screen time, but they're far and away the most entertaining part. Obstacles and traps are set. Ground is gained and then lost. Cars are diverted, but then reappear. I just can't get over how clever some of this stuff is. And I also can't get over how difficult it must have been to stage.
On the other hand, it is somewhat odd to see silent comic Buster Keaton clowning around while there's a massive Civil War battle reconstruction going on around him, complete with canon-fire, swords and pistol fights. Hundreds of extras are being mowed down while he messes about with a sword that will not stay attached to the handle. And it's downright surreal to see him grabbing a Confederate flag banner and racing towards the front lines waving it. This disc also features two short features from Buster Keaton. In THE PLAYHOUSE, the action opens with a long dream sequence, where Keaton plays everyone in a vaudeville show, as well as the entire audience. I had thought that this sort of split screen was supposed to be revolutionary in Disney's THE PARENT TRAP (1961). But forty years before Hollywood expected us to be impressed by two Hayley Millses, this short feature gives us nine Buster Keatons on screen at once! The other short feature is COPS, described as Keaton's finest short film. I wouldn't argue with that position (although I think I might put THE SCARECROW up there), as this is absolutely hilarious. Beginning with a few quick sight gags and misunderstandings, the film has Keaton eventually earning the wrath of every policeman in the city. The film continues on, getting increasingly outrageous as every attempt at escaping from one set of policemen ends up annoying a further group. It's very reminiscent of his feature length film, SEVEN CHANCES, only instead of enraged brides chasing Keaton through city streets, it's -- you guessed it -- cops. Packed with energy and wonderfully inventive, COPS could stand multiple viewings without boring an audience. This disc might be the best place to begin appreciating Buster Keaton. He's certainly at the top of his game in all three movies. I would only suggest to newcomers not to expect THE GENERAL to be a laugh-a-minute slapstick fest. Certainly, it's an amusing film, but there's a lot more here to appreciate than just some simple physical comedy jokes. The attention to detail is surprising and welcome. Even today, it is still rare to see a "comedy" done in such a large cinematic scale, with such epic production values. Thanks to Keaton's care and attention, he created one of the best-looking films ever made in any genre.
Rating:
Summary: The best silent film ever!
Review: Most silent films require some patience from modern audiences, but The General (in the version from King Video) is entertaining from beginning to end -- funny, exciting, and poignent. If you would like to try a silent film, this is the one to start with. If you find you do not like The General, then you probably can give up on silent film entirely, and move on to talkies, and the Marx Brothers. If you don't like the Marx Brothers, then there is no hope for you. Stick to Adam Sandler.
Rating: 
Summary: Snooze! Keaton is as Disappointing as Chaplin
Review: After being thoroughly disappointed by Charlie Chaplin's sad brand of humor, I was led to Buster Keaton, whose adherents assure us that he was the real funny man of the 1920s. This is supposed to be perhaps Keaton's best work. On the positive side, I must say that the cinematography and production were first-rate for the day. Sadly, however, this film quite frankly isn't funny. Keaton's brand of humor seems to be simply a milder form of the same lame procedure as that followed by Chaplin. But whereas Chaplin wears you down with overkill, Keaton underwhelms you to sleep. Both of these silent comedy "masterpieces" (The General and City Lights) are both dim bulbs, in my humble opinion. At least City Lights has a good ending to make up for the lame humor. The General has no such saving grace. For the disappointed like myself, there is one only one famous 1920s comic actor, Harold Lloyd, whose work really stands the test of time. Check out "The Kid Brother", "Speedy" (with Babe Ruth), and the hair-raising "Safety Last". And there is also value in silent romantic comedy, both "It" and "My Best Girl" immediately come to mind. The General, however, certainly doesn't have "It. The good stunts and high production values do not make up for the fact that this film just isn't funny.
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