THE GENERAL (1926)

(Week 12: Buster Keaton)

THE GENERAL (1926)

Directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Buckman

Looks like I'm in trouble again. 

Buster Keaton is best known for his silent films, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. While he continued to make films in the sound era, he's not really the star of those films. In other words, he's the star of the silent era, not the golden era. He shouldn't be on the list, but he is, and I didn't want to just skip him--I would feel like I was cheating.

So I had to choose whether to watch one of his well-known works or his later stuff. I went with the former and watched THE GENERAL. Once again I faced the same problem I had with DUCK SOUP. I just don't care for this kind of writing/performance. I don't care for physical comedy, on which the film largely based its success. It's just not for me.

The film is about a young man who, having been rejected by the army, uses his skills as a mechanic to rescue the girl he loves from Union spies. Throughout the film he commits many honorable acts in a comedic fashion. 

I don't really know what to write about movies like this. It has a plot in a sense that something is happening at all time, but the events don't really contribute to the growth and development of the character. This just isn't that kind of storytelling, and it was tedious to watch.

I'm not a film expert so I can't really comment too much on the film's style or how much it contributes to film history. I admit I lack the palate to appreciate it as it deserves. But this is one of the most important films of the silent era, so it might be worth watching for anyone who cares about films.