The General, all time great western epic

[stuart.uk]

you might argue this should be in the Silents and Pre-codes thread, but i think on merit it also belongs in the western section as one the greatest films of the genre ever made.

The General died on release and its failure helped bring down it's star and creator Buster Keaton. yet 30-yrs later by a new film audience it was rightly acclaimed as a great masterpiece.

Why did it fail. well it was yrs ahead of its time, though some might argue Chaplin with Shoulder Arms made a comedy drama about war. The General while having great Keaton gags and stunts, was also a realistic account of life in The American Civil War. soldiers were seen dying in battle in the film and 1927 audiences probably weren't ready for that. Having seen a brilliant American documentary series about The Civil War with all the photographs taken of that period, i would say in movie terms The general comes closest in movie terms to capturing it. i think that's partly because the film is so old, the print of the film matches photographs taken 60 odd yrs before.

Keaton's stunts are brilliant, but to his credit, they're still believable. however, one of my fav scenes he's almost balletic. Marion Mack is throwing little sticks into the fire of the engine instead oof planks of wood. Keaton in disbelief hands her a twig, which she takes and throws in the fire. Keaton in frustration pretends to strangle her, then he kisses her and in what seems the same movement, turns and drives his engine.

a word too for Marion Mack, who plays in the end a tomboyish heroine. she is terrific as Buster's girl.

[movieman1957]

A great film. One of my favorite gags in the picture is when they have taken apart a split rail fence to use for fuel for the train. As they are putting the wood in the fire the young lady inspects the wood and upon finding a hole in it promptly chucks it off the train. Subtle but very funny.

Another had to have been almost accidental. When Buster is throwing small logs at the cannon to divert it he very nearly throws one down the barrel.

You have as good an explanation as any I have seen (although there still would be veterans alive, although quite old which they may have found little humor in it.)

[charliechaplinfan]

I certainly don't think of The General as a western but I do rate it very highly as a work of comedy and an authentic representation of the Civil War. Buster will have had his team of men make sure that everything was historically accurate.

I've watched it a few times now and everytime I see something else, some little detail or a bit of humour that I'd missed before. I love the interplay between Buster and Marion. Buster's girls mostly are short on brains but he still loves them. When Marion is helping Buster, water pours over her from a downspout, she had no idea it was in the script and the effect is all the greater.

I love the story that whenever Buster was stuck for inspiration, he would stop work and have a baseball game on the set.

It is indeed a shame that it was not accorded the level of praise of The Gold Rush or City Lights.