The General

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Julian Rex M Its unconventional protagonist's political leaning may not be to everyone's taste, but The General is a well-written comedy that sports incredible visuals and a typically outstanding performance from Buster Keaton. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/24 Full Review anthony t I'm not one to recommend silent films to anyone, more so to my close friends. But this film itself drove me to let others know how enjoyable it was to watch. From beginning to end I was intrigued by the character itself and how well timed everything was. It wasn't too slow or too fast, every scene and action was done with such perfected precision. Let alone the cinematography. I can understand why this film is so highly praised (now) regarding its shot/camera work. I would say it was the hit point for me coming from seeing other silent films and this being such a drastic change of 'flow' per se as its competitors. The camera work itself was made me not take my eye off the screen, and I say that because I've wondered and looked away from the screen when seeing other silent films, even slept, but this one didn't. This is why I also recommended it to other friends due to the camera work, knowing they would love it too. Learning how this film itself did not succeed as it was intended bashes me because it's profoundly an amazing film. Every action speaks for itself throughout the film, which drives the viewer to not get bored or lost with the plot. Overall, like I said the film itself is amazing; by far one of the most enjoyable silent films I've seen (yet), and I'm very grateful I got introduced to it in class. This film really made me want to seek and see what else there is for silent films (coming from someone who never put interest in them). Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review Eric D Buster Keaton's "The General" is one of the best silent films I have watched and there are many reasons for that. Many silent films I have watched prior have had some boring scenes or stories that are hard to follow but this film kept me engaged from start to finish and I can't think of any moment where I needed clarification or not interested. One major aspect that greatly stood out to me is the stunts performed by Keaton throughout the entirety of the film especially the ones done on the moving train because at the time there wasn't the advanced technology we have today to do these scenes like the use CGI or green screens which means all the stunts done in the film were real and performed on an actual moving train. Also, from the knowledge I know about the film, there weren't any professional stunt performers hired to do these train scenes meaning Keaton performed all these dangerous stunts himself. Without any spoilers, there is a specific scene towards the end of the film that is amazingly done with the train that by the looks of it was only able to be shot on one take since it was filmed on site and its outcome is disastrous. Aside from its amazing stunt work, the story was beautifully presented which could've been hard to achieve since it is a silent film. Although the film follows a very common storyline of a man battling through many obstacles for a woman, it is done in an amazing way that can be interpreted in many ways depending on the viewer especially when it comes to talking about Keaton's characters' goal of chasing down the train. Overall, I highly recommend everyone to watch this film because it is not only an important part of film history but the production and story are beautifully done. I believe many films we see today and will continue to see in the future will use inspiration from The General. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/17/24 Full Review Keith D That some people think this was a misstep on Keaton's part for representing the Confederacy in this brilliant piece of cinema is pretty laughable. Just watch the movie and enjoy a master at work! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/12/24 Full Review Rebecca O Prior to watching The General I was never a big fan of silent films, I always lost interest and focus while watching them. As I a film major, it is important to understand the history of cinema and how it has evolved and reached its current state. Watching the first silent films and stars of that time is paramount. Buster Keaton does a wonderful job showcasing not only the story but creativity in his shots. For example I was genuinely impressed by the shot of the train crossing the burning bridge and crashing into the river as the soldiers watched from below. A real train and bridge were destroyed for the sake of the scene, making a pretty expensive creative decision. Keaton’s work payed off as the film was voted top 10 greatest films of all time according to the Sight and Sound poll. As I watched the film I was curious to see how these stunts were performed as they used trains, cannons, and men getting swept into fast moving water. In the current times we have so many safety protocols put in place as well as the use of stunt doubles and CGI. As stated in the article, “The General” by Robert Ebert, “It is important to note that he [Buster Keaton] never used a double and did all of his own stunts, even very dangerous ones, with a calm acrobatic grace.” The actors and filmmakers on this set were so dedicated to their craft to be taking such dangerous risks to get the perfect shot. We see actors running and jumping from moving train to moving train as well as loading and firing cannons. All-in-all The General was a captivating film and was very advanced for its time. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/10/24 Full Review Nyla E At first I wasn’t excited to watch another silent film, just because sometimes they can be boring. But I was so wrong about The General, its very exciting and I was just in awe of the film overall. The General was very ahead of its time. The cinematography of this film felt very modern, with the close ups, the sets, and the stunts. The close ups allow us to be right there with the character in their emotions, and thats something that not a lof of films at this time did. When there was one, I didn’t really notice it until moments later because that’s something that we’re used to seeing in modern films. A very notable shot in this film, is when Johnnie is looking at Annabelle through the cigar hole in the cloth.The sets as well, weren’t set up like a play like how other silent films can be. We are actually moving with Johnnie in his journey, with his train. The stunts I was in complete amazement by them. Like when the bridge blows up and falls into the river, that was insane. I can’t imagine what that would’ve been like to see that for the first time during that era. Because now, we’re used to huge stunts and things blowing up. But for that time, its like wow! This film overall is a very fun watch and something that probably wasn’t appreciated during the time of its release. Luckily now we are able to give it it’s appreciation the film deserves! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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