Civil War was the most traumatic event in the history of United States. With many of its participants still living, it isn’t surprising that such conflict served as a subject for some of classic titles of American cinema in its first decades, like The Birth of a Nation or Gone with the Wind. While those two films were epics, the third classic covering the same subject, The General, 1926 film directed by Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, was a comedy.
The film is loosely based on the real events that took place in March 1862 – a spectacular, but ultimately unsuccessful attempt of Union saboteurs to wreck vital Confederate railway connecting Georgia and Tennessee. The protagonist, played by Keaton, is Johnnie Gray, railway engineer working for Western & Atlantic Railroad who has two great loves in his life – one is his locomotive named “The General” and the other is Annabelle Lee (played by Marion Mack), beautiful young woman living in Marietta, Georgia. The plot begins in Spring 1861 when Annabelle’s father and brother, following start of war, enlist in Confederate military. Johnnie tries that too, but he is considered too vital for war effort as civilian engineer. A year later, group of Union spies led by Captain Anderson (played by Glen Cavender) steal “The General” with the aim to wreck telegraph and railway lines on their way towards Union lines. While doing so, they inadvertently take Annabelle Lee as prisoner. Johnnie has seen what was going on and starts dramatic chase towards spies trying to get his hands on “The General”. He ends behind Union lines and, while trying to set Annabelle free, overhears Union generals planing surprise attack on Confederate positions via Rock River bridge. He sets Annabelle free, takes control of “The General” and starts going southwards towards Confederate lines, being pursued by Union trains.
In a time of production, Buster Keaton, together with Charles Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, enjoyed the status of the most popular Hollywood comedian. Like Chaplin, he was also an accomplished film maker with some of his earlier directorial efforts recognised as classics of silent comedy. In The General he was attracted to the story because of his own life-long affection to the railroad, but also because he saw great potential for very specific blend of action and comedy. He co-wrote the script based on The Great Locomotive Chase, memoir of William Pittenger, Union soldier who took part in 1862 and later became first serviceman in history to receive Medal of Honor. Keaton was, however, aware that most of American audience at the time accepted romanticised version of Civil War and the Lost Cause of Confederacy, so he made his protagonist Confederate. While based to actual events to a certain degree, Keaton mostly saw it as an opportunity to deliver what he knew best – specific blend of action-pack slapstick with comedic mayhem in total contrast to his expressionless “stony” face. The General after short prologue turns into almost non-stop action and serves as comedic chase film, with protagonist using all of his ingenuity while avoiding traps and impediments made by spies he pursues and, later, using all of his ingenuity to do the same when being pursued. The result is an exciting and entertaining film that could work very well even for audience accustomed to action comedies featuring sound and colour.
The General was made near the very end of silent era, when such films reached their zenith in strictly technical sense, unburdened with limitations that the sound technology would bring only few years later. Keaton and Bruckman made their films on locations in Oregon, mostly in order to use locomotives very much like those used during actual events. The production was quite expensive, with hundreds of extras and Oregon National Guard soldiers playing Union and Confederate soldiers in final battle scene. The last part of the film featured spectacular fall of a train over damaged bridge, which is often referenced as the most expensive shot in the history of silent cinema. Keaton, known for performing his stunts, was on occasions injured during the shooting.
All those sacrifices didn’t pay off, at least not initially. The General performed below expectations at box office and was considered the flop. The critics weren’t particularly enthusiastic, many of them uncomfortable with the bloody war being used as backdrop of comedy and revolted at the scenes of people dying being used as source of laughs. On the other hand, The General mostly evaded some of the criticisms that plague The Birth of a Nation or Gone with the Wind. In the film there isn’t any black character, so depiction of Civil War lacks any potentially problematic racial or political aspect. In subsequent years, as technology advanced and sound could take step with visuals, The General was proving as valuable source of inspiration for film makers – those specialised in action, comedy or both. As such, its reputation grew and after few decades it was named one of the best films ever made and is now considered one of the great classics of the silent era and, arguably, Buster Keaton’s best known film. In 1956 Disney produced The Great Locomotive Chase, more straightforward reconstruction of the event, starring Jeffrey Hunter in the role of William A. Fuller, train conductor who served as basis for Keaton’s character in The General.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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