The General

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Brennan W Im not the biggest fan of silent films. Especially ones that come out a hundred years ago. This film however was a good not great time and I still very much enjoyed myself while watching it. Overall the characters in the film do what they are supposed to to keep the film moving but at the same time, I found myself caring for them and wanting them to succeed. The film also gets into some serious material that has a lot of effects on the people watching it. It speaks a lot about the roles of people and the film industry and I found that to be very interesting. Overall I did enjoy this film and for a silent film that came out a hundred years ago it was something I had a good time watching. I would recommend this to some people because someone like my friends who aren't crazy into films wouldn't enjoy this. However I could see me film friends really getting something out of this. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/20/24 Full Review Javier M I have always not been too fond of silent films, I am not its biggest fanatic, particularly due to how boring they might be at times. Though this is clearly an exception, The General is not only an exception, it is an engaging film that can have you on the edge of your seat. I really njoyed this work from Buster Keaton, it is extremely thrilling, especially the train chase sequences. It is also filled with such great stunts, Keaton really put himself through a lot to get this done and some specific shots done, but it pays off well as they are the highlight of the film. These stunts make the film even more of an edge of your seat type of watch. I really do enjoy just how much Keaton perfectly blends humor with thrilling moments in such a perfect way, they fit here, Keaton’s character is at many times, involved in comedic sequences and also in ones filled with suspense. You just want to root for Keaton’s character especially after what happens to him at the beginning, he’s not accepted to enroll due to being deemed as too valuable for his work, though others think he’s a failure and didn’t want to enroll. Obviously, at the end, he earns the right to join after having gone through so much, he also proves himself to be valuable as he informs the generals of incoming attacks he spotted. Overall, this is a stand out of the silent film era, its approach to stunts, thrilling sequences have a very modern feel to it, the train sequence in particular is one to remember. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/20/24 Full Review Eliza B The General is surprisingly engaging and ahead of its time especially considering that the film was made in 1926. The pacing is similar to a modern action movie and is packed full of incredible and comedic stunts. It is amazing and somewhat terrifying that Keaton does his own stunts, especially due to the fact that there were far less safety precautions in the past. Considering the film had to be shot on film, there are many shots that are absolutely breathtaking and some scenes that were so masterfully captured it is hard to believe the film came out so long ago. It definitely has had a significant impact on many action movies, the train chase remains somewhat of a cliche in cinema. While some may say that the setting and political aspects of the film are beside the point, it is important to note that Keaton chose to portray a Confederate soldier as his protagonist, and while that is kind of unimportant to the actual plot, he could have chosen any other uniform to wear and any other soldier to portray. While this fact doesn't take away from the skill that went into the creation of the film, it does subtly glorify the Confederacy. It is based on true events but I think there could have been a way to adjust the story so that the heroes were not Confederate soldiers. It is a product of its time and is an example of the excellent films that resulted from the Silent Film era. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/19/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

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