The General

Ever since I first saw Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr. a few months ago, I became a fan of his work. The General is one of his most famous works, and according to some, one of the greatest films of all time. The premise of the movie is that Buster has his train stolen during the Civil War by Union soldiers. He then has to catch them and bring his train back to the South. I found it to be an interesting choice that the protagonist is from the South, when most Civil War films have the hero from the North. The overall story ultimately comes full circle, as the soldiers lay traps along the way to prevent Buster from catching them. Then Buster lays traps to keep the soldiers from catching him after he regains the train. While this film may be his best overall movie, it is not devoid of Keaton's timeless physical humor. Anyone who wants to watch a classi silent movie, or anyone who just wants a good laugh can benefit from watching this film.