The General

The General is a masterful and spectacular reconstruction of a turbulent episode in the American Civil War, the so-called Great Locomotive Chase, with the prodigy called Buster Keaton acting as a catalyst. In a series of incredible stunts, Keaton manages to beat the Union Army on his own with the help of his train, 'The General'. Keaton regales us with a parade of visual jokes, packed with numerous brilliant ideas.

Keaton is traditionally described as the man with the stoic, deadpan expression, a man whose face showed no trace of emotion: 'The Great Stone Face'. This silent film classic, however, also reveals how his eyes conveyed so many different emotions: sadness, disappointment, despair, relief, ardour. The script is based on The Great Locomotive Chase, a book by Union Army soldier William Pittenger. The film flopped upon release, but came to be greatly reappraised over time.