Keaton's favourite of his many movies, and rightfully so, takes its setting from one of America's least amusing wars, namely the civil one. Though watching this you might very well come to the conclusion that it was a hearty old affair with much rushing too and forth and the saving of various steam locomotives and local damsels. Keaton plays Johnny Gray, a railroad engineer for the South who, after attempting to enlist and being rebuffed due to his valuable profession, is dumped by his sweetheart and scorned by her family. Sullenly getting back to work despite the Union's advances, he finally has the chance to become a hero when his beloved train, The General, is stolen by the dastardly spy Capt. Anderson along with his ex-sweetheart Annabelle.
Alongside Chaplin, Keaton's work stands as some of the most pivotal of the pre-sound era, focusing the entire effort of the cast, writers and director on producing a film in which every frame captures the complete attention of the audience. Alongside an effective soundtrack this can work wonders, as is the case here. I had the rare pleasure of catching a recent showing with a live organist accompanying it, and it took my breath away. Given that the only lines 'spoken' are on card, and that there are less than a dozen of them throughout the film, shows just how important a tight script and musical number are.
Keaton is pretty much the only character of note in this movie, holding almost the entire middle together himself, and it is his amazing screen presence which dominates. In a film which features many impressive physical stunts and special effects, his ability to run, jump and dive around at will is invaluable. However, it is his famous face which cements many of the gags in the memory, and one look alone from ol' Stone Face had the audience I was with in stitches. The only actor capable of delivering such amazing reaction shots working these days is probably Bill Murray, and even he would have to take his hat off to Keaton. Never smiling once, he somehow manages to emote a multitude of expressions simultaneously.
The General is a work of art, possibly the funniest movie ever made, and a living tribute to what can be achieved without the many tools available to modern directors. Tightly scripted at a mere 75 minutes it nevertheless runs through dozens of hilarious set-pieces, from the caustic to the slapstick, and asks the audience to cheer its hero like no other film. A silent masterpiece |
