Rating: 
Summary: None better
Review: 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!
Rating: 
Summary: Fine DVD of a greal classic comedy!
Review: I recommend this film to anyone curious about Buster Keaton and early film comedy in general. The DVD is a great, clean, clear image for a 1920's film and is presented in a full 1.33:1 standard frame. The entire movie has been tinted softly to a gentle sepiatone which is quite attractive, except for night scenes which are tinted in traditional blue. (This truly is one of the best-looking silent films on DVD I have seen yet). The score is modern, although composed around "period" tunes of the time when the film was made. It is quite fitting to the story and feel of the film. The film is a pretty well developed historical piece during the civil war, even though it is a comedy. It has a true air of sophistication and attention to detail that is quite believable. I highly recommend this graceful classic to film buffs of all ages, and anyone who likes a well crafted comedy in general.
Rating:
Summary: Comic art made tragic
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: Great Comedy! Who Cares If Its Silent?
Review: 'The General' is not only considered one of the great silent films, it is also recognized by many critics and audiences as one of the great films of all time. 'The General' is the name of the train engine that Keaton operates. The Civil War has just begun, and Keaton seeks to enlist on the Confederate side, mainly to please his sweetheart. Keaton is denied. He's too valuable as an engineer. When his sweetheart is captured by the Union Army, Keaton seeks to rescue her, and the rest is film history. 'The General' is so well done, so well thought out that you'll soon forget that you're watching a silent film, let alone one that's nearly 75 years old. Keaton's deadpan delivery and comic timing are wonders to behold. No one does it like he did. I would recommend 'The General' to everyone and especially to anyone who has been reluctant to view a silent film. So much of the film is geared to visual comedy, few words are needed. Sit back and watch one of the early masters in a true masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: The MASTERPIECE
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The General
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Keaton the Rebel
Review: The General was not terribly popular when first released, but is now generally recognized as being Keaton's finest film. It has a combination of comedy and drama which made it a radical departure from previous silent films. It is perhaps this fact that contemporary audiences found difficult. After all, it was unexpected to see people actually killed in a comedy. Keaton went to great lengths to make his film as authentic as possible. His stunts are real and really dangerous. He made great efforts to have trains that looked as if they were from the Civil War and to clothe his extras in period costumes. In this regard he perhaps tried a little too hard. The southern soldiers look just a little too tidy. They all seem to have the same hats and they all seem to have shoes. This does not quite fit in with the history of the period. It does not matter however, for Keaton was not making a history film. There are critics who emphasize the historical accuracy of The General, but this emphasis can go too far. Keaton is not suggesting that we believe that the actual historical event, that his film is based on, happened this way. His film is a comic version of the events not a representation of the events themselves. It is thus that he can successfully find laughter in the most tragic conflict of American history. The print on the Kino DVD is very good. Most importantly it is shown at the correct speed. I have seen a video version of The General which ran 107 minutes, but it did not include any more material than this DVD. Rather it was shown at the wrong speed, so that everything ran slowly. This was disastrous for Keaton's films depend on speed, for his comedy depends on his quickness of thought and action. The print on the Kino DVD is furthermore, well tinted mainly in sepia with night scenes appearing blue/grey. The music which is played during the film is on the whole fine. It is mainly a selection of tunes from the Civil War period. The only time I found the music questionable was when 'The Teddy Bears Picnic' accompanies Buster's meeting with a bear. The childlike imagery it evokes is quite wrong. This DVD is good value for it also includes two of Keaton's best short films. The Playhouse is very funny, but is also noteworthy for being technically ingenious. Cops is another chase film, but in the end is more pessimistic than The General. It includes the famous image of Buster's hat on a gravestone which, in way, sums up his whole comic career.
Rating:
Summary: Johnnie get your gun!
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: Buster's cheeriest film?
Review: This is in one way the least typical of Keaton's films - he is not an inept loser confounded by technology and modernity. He not only saves the day, both in domestic and national terms, but he does so mastering an unwieldly train (and the sexual implications of this - he is rescuing his fiancee - are hilarious). Further, the usual Keaton dream space is replaced by a specific, and lovingly recreated, historical context. It is this context that shows the familiar Keaton ethos. It is the Civil War, a war that divided America for generations to come. Similarly, Keaton's film is divided in two - chasing the kidnappers, and being chased in turn. This division mirrors the effects of the war, a heroic, successful act mirrors a destructive one. Further, Buster, of course, is on the losing side, rendering all his valiant efforts Pyrrhic. This is a very abstract war, stripped of historical context, leaving a film of pure geometric action. As such it is truer than films that would try to 'explain' history - Keaton shows that all our struggles will eventually be defeated, if not by war or history, than by existence and death. But though clear-eyed about life, he never forgot to entertain and astonish, and if I prefer 'Sherlock Jr.' this is still better than almost any other silent film. Keaton's comedy and philosophy are entwined - in my favourite sequence, Buster's strenuous efforts to get a cannon working end up having it pointing at him.
Rating:
Summary: The Master and The General
Review: As others have written - this is Buster's masterpiece and the crowning jewel of silent film comedy. I want to correct one mistaken impression by another writer here: Buster's film NEVER had the half-and-half uniform gag. But Buster DID write that very gag for Red Skelton to use in a 1940s remake. The Kino release is complete and not a scene is out of place. Watch this one and see how quickly the film pioneers achieved perfection in the brand new medium of moving pictures.
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