Rent The General (1926)

Classic silent comedy - The General review by KM

This 1926 film starts quite slowly but stick with it and you'll get to the wonderful comedy routines and astounding acrobatic stunts. It's a great film to introduce children, or anyone, to the joys of silent comedy. My kids love this movie, they are amazed by the simplicity of the special effects and the split second timing of the stunts. (They'd also recommend "Oh, Mr. Porter!" from 1937 for more fun with trains...)

The only disappointment on this DVD is the music - instead of a specially written score there is a series of piano rags. Pleasant enough, but music underlining the action would have been even better. See films like this with live accompaniment if you get the chance.

Great Film, Shame About The Video... - The General review by Count Otto Black

I assume from the previous review that this rental company has a number of different versions of this movie, and it's pure potluck which one you get. In the interests of better customer service, I'm giving this film one star, not because of Buster Keaton's performance, but because the DVD I was sent was literally painful to watch, and consequently I didn't watch it for very long.

I refer to the 2004 DVD produced by Elstree Hill Entertainment, which I presume has absolutely nothing to do with the illustrious Elstree Film Studios, but would like people to think it does. Obviously I don't expect perfection from a movie this old, but there's more than the odd scratch wrong with this! It looks like a tenth-generation video copy, it's incredibly grainy, it wobbles, it's most certainly not in fullscreen format despite the info give here, and worst of all, the entire film is out of focus.

I'm not reviewing the film, I'm reviewing the unwatchable version of it you may and up attempting to watch. Infinitely better digitally restored prints of silent movies far more obscure than this starring people a lot less famous than Buster Keaton exist, so presumably I've just given up on a DVD transfer of it that's far worse than most. If I may quote Amazon...?

For region 2 PAL viewers, avoid the Elstree Hill Entertainment release version - ASIN # B0001U0HHA . This version has poor audio. Lots of negative reviews. Try the E1 Entertainment colorized version which has positive reviews. There are also two other black and white region 2 PAL releases by Whe Europe Limited and Simply Media (no reviews posted).

And...

I have several Elstree Hill dvds and the quality is deplorable on all of them. Unfortunatly they were presents making it difficult to return. I shall make sure that this Companys products are not purchased in future. D. Newson.

Seriously, CinemaParadiso, you're making yourselves look cheap here! And for everybody else, this film is in the public domain, so a free legal download of it would probably be no worse than the DVD this company may charge you to rent.

Critical Favourite. - The General review by Steve

This civil war comedy-drama is now considered Buster Keaton's classic though it wasn't well received at the time.  He plays a rebel engine driver who isn't allowed to enlist and so is shunned by his fiancée. When his train, with his girl on board, is stolen by Northern spies, Buster must retrieve the locomotive, rescue the girl and secure a strategic advantage for the South.  

 It's an ambitious film, with armies of extras staging huge battles, with spectacular stunts, shot in remote locations in a period setting. Keaton was thinking bigger than his comic contemporaries. Sadly, its failure meant his independence was compromised and he would soon sign a disastrous deal with MGM which sent his career into a spiral.  

But he was still at his peak. His gymnastics around the engine are graceful and breathtaking, with many truly hair-raising stunts. He still performs his familiar persona, the Great Stoneface, but also inhabits a believable character. Marion Mack gives an appealingly ditsy performance as his capricious sweetheart.  

While the film is spectacular, it isn't among Buster's funniest films. It doesn't help that so many people are dying on screen. It's an action film. The period detail is persuasive and the star gives a brilliant demonstration of his prodigious talent as a physical actor and comic artist.