The General

Release Year: 1926

Director: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton

Review: The silent era classic starring Buster Keaton is based on an actual Civil War event.  It is a comedic thrills movie where Keaton plays a train engineer who is denied enlistment to the Confederate army which disgraces him to his fiance.  While in the midst of the war, Keaton's train "The General", is stolen when his love interest is aboard.  Determined, Keaton pursues the train, first on foot, then on hand car, bicycle and finally on another train.  He eventually manages to rescue the girl, and recapture his beloved train, only to have the entire Union Army on his tail for the chase back.

You wouldn't think a silent era film would be able to hold up as an action film, but it does.  The chase scene is still thrilling and the stunts performed by Keaton are remarkable.  The movie is fast paced, and flies by.  There are moments in the chase that are as compelling as the best stuff from Indiana Jones.  To top it off, it is multi-layered with a good amount of humor and drama mixed in with the excitement. It is a sublime adventure movie, and a timeless treasure.
Rating: 4/5