I've really become a big Buster Keaton aficionado over the past few years, devouring his short films and some of his features whenever I can and loving almost all of them. Sure, there's something intrinsically hilarious about Keaton's impassive, calm demeanor, which never cracks even in the most astonishing circumstances. But what I've really come to love about Keaton is his gift for setpieces, taking something as simple as a steamboat or a house connected by secret passages and crafting intricate, jaw-dropping sequences that manage to inspire both awe and loud, constant laughter. And so, given the chance to rewatch The General for the first time in years, see it on the big screen, and have it accompanied by the always wonderful Alloy Orchestra (who travel the country providing original live scores for silent films), how could I pass up the chance? Widely regarded as Keaton's masterpiece (which is hard to argue, even though I think Sherlock Jr. is perfection for every minute of its brief running time), The General finds Keaton running a railroad during the Civil War, trying his best to enlist in the Confederate army, foiling a group of Union spies, and trying to rescue his girlfriend and prove his bravery. That sounds like a lot to pack into The General's 67 minutes, but in Keaton's hands, it all somehow works, and feels less like chaos and more like constant, boundless energy. Picking up beams as a train neatly hits him, destroying a bridge as a locomotive barrels down it, leaping from car to car on a moving train, Keaton constantly leaves you both admiring his acrobatic ability and timing and wondering how on earth he managed to never die doing the things he did. (If you've ever wanted to see a silent film where the audience can't help but burst into applause at some of the stunt work, go see The General with a crowd.) But if all The General offered were stunts, it would be good; what makes it work, and what makes it a masterpiece, is that it's so riotously, constantly funny, and that the humor is shared by the whole crew. (Keaton's love interest, for instance, about steals the show in the film's final third.) And, of course, seeing it with the Alloy Orchestra is a treat; with a score that beautifully complements the film and even adds in occasional sound effects as needed, they made an already great film into a truly wonderful experience, something hard to encapsulate. In short, it was a joy of an evening, and it's not hard to see why for any serious film fan.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
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