The General

Set during the American Civil War, "The General" follows Johnnie Gray, a Southern railroad engineer whose two great loves are his locomotive, "The General," and his fiancée, Annabelle Lee. When the war breaks out, Johnnie is eager to enlist to impress Annabelle, but is rejected because his skills as an engineer are deemed too valuable to the Confederate war effort, a reason that is not explained to him. Annabelle, believing him a coward, shuns him.

A year later, Union spies steal "The General" with Annabelle inadvertently on board. This act of theft launches Johnnie into a relentless and daring pursuit behind enemy lines. Commandeering another locomotive, he single-handedly chases after the hijackers, facing numerous obstacles and performing incredible stunts along the way. His mission is twofold: to reclaim his beloved engine and to rescue the woman who has misjudged him.

Johnnie's journey takes him deep into Union territory, where he must rely on his wits and incredible physical prowess to survive. He not only rescues Annabelle but also overhears crucial intelligence about a planned Union attack. Together, they steal back "The General" and embark on a perilous race back to Confederate lines, all while being pursued by the Union army, culminating in a spectacular battle sequence.

At its heart, "The General" is an exploration of heroism in the face of adversity, demonstrating that courage can manifest in unexpected ways outside the conventional battlefield. Director Buster Keaton aimed to tell a story of an ordinary man's extraordinary perseverance, driven by love and personal conviction. Johnnie Gray is not a soldier, but his unwavering dedication to rescuing his two loves—his engine and his sweetheart—propels him to perform feats of incredible bravery. The film suggests that heroism is not defined by a uniform or title, but by one's actions and the willingness to risk everything for what one holds dear. It's a testament to the resilience of the individual against overwhelming forces, blending comedy with a sincere appreciation for ingenuity and determination.

While on the surface "The General" is a straightforward action-comedy, its historical context invites alternative readings. One interpretation views the film through the lens of the "Lost Cause" mythology, a revisionist history that romanticized the Confederacy. By framing the Confederate protagonist as a heroic underdog and the Union as the villainous aggressors, the film aligns with a sympathetic, and historically sanitized, view of the South prevalent in the 1920s. Some analyses suggest Keaton's choice was less a political statement and more a narrative one, believing an underdog story was more compelling. However, this choice makes the film a complex cultural artifact, reflecting the racial and historical attitudes of its time.

Another interpretation focuses on the film's symmetrical structure as a metaphor for control and chaos. As noted by critic Noël Carroll, the film is divided into two mirrored halves: the first chase, where Johnnie is reactive and things constantly go wrong, and the second chase (back to the South), where he is in control, setting the traps himself. This reading suggests the film is less about the Civil War and more about Keaton's recurring theme of an individual learning to master a chaotic, mechanical world, moving from being a victim of circumstance to an agent of his own destiny.

Initially a box-office bomb that severely damaged Buster Keaton's career, "The General" has since been re-evaluated and is now considered one of the greatest films ever made. Its initial failure was attributed to its mixing of genres—it was as much an action-adventure film as a comedy—and its controversial choice to tell a Civil War story from the Confederate perspective, which some critics found distasteful. Robert Sherwood famously wrote, "someone should have told Buster Keaton that it is difficult to derive laughter from the sight of men being killed in battle."

Over the decades, however, critics and audiences have come to appreciate the film's incredible technical achievements, its breathtaking and authentic stunt work, and its sophisticated narrative structure. It was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in its inaugural class in 1989. Orson Welles called it "the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made." The film's influence can be seen in countless action films that feature elaborate chase sequences, particularly those involving trains, and its masterful blend of comedy and high-stakes action set a new standard for the genre. Despite the problematic nature of its Confederate sympathies in a modern context, its artistic and technical brilliance remain undeniable, cementing its place as a landmark of silent cinema.

Upon its initial release in 1926-27, "The General" was met with a lukewarm to hostile reception from both critics and audiences, resulting in a box office failure. Many viewers and reviewers found the film's comedic tone inappropriate for its Civil War setting, criticizing it for attempting to derive humor from battle and death. It was frequently described as "tedious" and less funny than Keaton's previous, more farcical works. The film's enormous budget, coupled with its poor box office returns, led to Buster Keaton losing his creative independence.

However, in the decades since, the film has undergone a significant critical re-evaluation. Modern audiences and critics almost universally praise it as a masterpiece of the silent era. It is now celebrated for its spectacular stunt work, masterful direction, epic scale, and seamless blend of action, comedy, and drama. It consistently ranks among the greatest films ever made in polls by critics and directors. While contemporary viewers may find its sympathetic portrayal of the Confederacy problematic, its technical and artistic merits are largely undisputed, securing its legacy as a cinematic classic.