WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Absolutely nothing, but I eventually learned it was a silent film, starring Buster Keaton, and another fellow AFI blogger told me it's quite the funny movie.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
This film is described as an Action Comedy, and in my opinion, it's emphasis on the action. Yes, it was still funny, but the action is what really hooked me.
There are some terrific chase scenes with very impressive stunts. And, by stunts, I don't mean a green screen (it was 1926, after all), safety wires, etc. in a film studio. I mean actors running all over actual moving trains out on location. Even when the comedy was infused into the scenes, it was the action that I liked (check out the video clip below to see one of my favorite parts that really infused comedy with the stunt).
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
After doing some research online, "The General" is not only Buster Keaton's favorite of his own work, but is widely considered one of the greatest classic comedies, and arguably the greatest train film ever made. The film had a huge budget for its time ($750,000 in 1926) and it paid off with some of the most impressive (and real) action scenes I've seen in a film. Add to this the fact that the story centers around a major American event (the Civil War), and Buster Keaton is considered one of the greatest film actors in history, and it makes sense why it made the list.
Complaints:
Not a fault of this film, but watching three Charlie Chaplin movies before watching this made it a little difficult to fully appreciate the different style of humor that Buster Keaton brought to film.
LET ME SUM UP...
Good silent-era action-comedy film. The humor is entertaining, but the action sequences were what I really loved about "The General". This is definitely worth checking out at least once in your life.
MY RATING: 7.5/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 91
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