The General, often considered to be Buster Keaton’s magnum opus (and for good reason – thankfully it was re-evaluated after its initial release, which was not kind), also falls into the realm of being one of the most important train and Civil War films ever produced. To those who do not know the motion picture, they will likely believe that the title refers to the military designation, though it is actually the name of the train the story revolves around.
Basically an intricately plotted, lengthy chase, Keaton co-wrote and co-directed the story along with Clyde Bruckman, it being based upon a famous, true Civil War happening, ‘The Great Locomotive Chase’ (also known as Andrews’ Raid).
Keaton takes on the role of Johnnie Gray, a train engineer living in Georgia just as the bloody 1861 hostilities boil over. In love with only two things, his beloved locomotive and an angelic, brown haired woman, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), he is told by his love that he too must enlist (like her father and brother). The first in line, they reject him, seeing his present job as being of the utmost importance for the South.
After several attempts, he fails at procuring enlistment, losing face in the eyes of his fiancée (her father and brother see him walking away from the line of troops – thinking he does not want to do his part) – so she boldly states that she will no longer see him until his cowardice is banished.
Flash forward three hundred and sixty five days and the two are still separated. Annabelle gets word that her father has been wounded, and takes The General north to see him. While at a stop to eat (there were few dining cars in the 1860s), Union spies, led by Captain Anderson (Glen Cavender), nab the engine, looking to wreak damage all along the Southern lines. They also find Johnnie’s beloved Annabelle on board, meaning that both of his loves have been stolen by the Northerners.
Giving chase, he tries everything to gain on them (using his feet, a handcar and a boneshaker bicycle), but to no avail. Finally arriving in Chattanooga, he rallies the troops to give chase, firing up the train only to learn (too late) that the car holding the soldiers was not fastened to his locomotive.
On his own, he does all in his power to gain on the kidnappers and thieves. Meeting and beating every obstacle they throw at him, he slowly closes the gap. Though, if he didn’t have bad luck he’d have no luck at all, and he soon realizes that the Southern troops are retreating and the Union army is marching in. Not wanting to be caught, he flees the train, finding himself in enemy territory. While hiding, he listens in on their all-important plans and knows that he must slow them down in order to get the information back to the Confederate higher ups. Will Johnnie be able to rescue Annabelle from the clutches of the Union stronghold? Will he get the message back in time, saving the day?
Like the Keaton short films I’ve reviewed in the past (The Scarecrow; One Week; The ‘High Sign’), The General is also blessed with The Great Stoneface’s signature movements. With a masterful eye for the visual gag, Keaton knew just what to do – even when it meant that he was to stay still. This is no better exemplified than when we find the depressed man (following the split up with Annabelle) sitting on a train’s connecting rod, in nightmarish reverie. Unbeknownst to Johnnie, the train lurches forward, moving the contemplative man up and down as the mode of transportation heads towards the engine house. A brilliant visual gag that depicts the fractured heart and pained thoughts of our protagonist; it was an utterly dangerous stunt to do.
Shot in Oregon to accommodate the antique locomotives (the tracks used in the state were narrow-gauged and could handle them), The General is one of the most impressive feats of the silent era. Utterly realistic, the authentic, visceral, visual Civil War aesthetic comes from the striking wartime photography of Mathew Brady – a source used by the filmmakers to help realize the gritty events. Perhaps the most impressive moment comes when one of the trains, The Texas, crashes as it crosses a burning bridge, plummeting into the swiftly moving water below. Today, what would be a somewhat simple CGI effect, was done in all of its glory back in 1926. Everything seen on screen is real (other than the engineer – who was a dummy) – a full sized train, burning bridge and swiftly flowing river roaring down below. In many ways mind-boggling, it shows the lengths that the silent geniuses would go to in order to awe their audiences – it was the most expensive scene shot during the silent era. . . thankfully, they got it right on the first take! The train remained submerged until World War II, when it was salvaged for scrap iron. Though this is by far the most impressive moment, each minute detail adds to the realism – Civil War era trains, cannons, passenger cars and other such things were brought in for the production.
Like most of Keaton’s films, he once again deserves kudos here. Filled with death-defying stunts, Keaton runs and jumps all over the train. One slip and fall could have taken his life. Often resembling a video game, the man shows bravery, skill and creativity each and every moment. One sequence finds him running ahead of the train, removing an impeding railroad tie, only to be caught by the cow catcher on the front of the locomotive. Utilizing the giant piece of wood, he tosses it to knock loose another railroad tie, only to then confidently move back up the train and into the driving compartment. Yet, amongst all of the intense stunts, there are little moments of simple and clever comedy – like when Keaton loses his hat in a low hanging v-shaped branch. Looking around, he does not see it on the ground and startles when it falls back onto his head, in perfect position, I might add.
A masterclass in visual realism and movement, The General is still a sight to behold. Though it caused many issues on set (forest fires, injuries, lawsuits. . .), went way over budget and was originally greeted by lackluster reviews and less than stellar audience reception (meaning that Keaton was never given total creative control over his films ever again), today, it can be seen for what it is, a spectacle of the highest degree. With attention to detail (to get a cannonball to land exactly where Keaton wanted, the man had to measure out gunpowder one grain at a time with tweezers), the based-on-real-events story fuses comedy with melodrama, action with pathos – capturing the essence of one of the most trying times in the history of the United States. So, get on track by seeing this classic piece of cinema, it will most definitely help promote your silent era film knowledge.