The General

1926

Directed by Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton

Netflix says… Rejected by the Confederate Army, Johnnie Gray sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive in this classic silent film. When Northern spies steal his train, the intrepid Johnnie takes on the entire Union army to get it back.

Aww man… a silent picture?! I mean, if I wanted to read I’d have turned off the TV and cracked open a book. If I was alive back in the silent era of film, I’d have been super excited about the release of talkies. Those old movie houses wouldn’t have gotten much of my pocket change to see Keaton or Chaplin on the screen. I know that by saying I’m not a fan of silent movies, there are those who would consider me a movie snob of sorts. I know this because that’s how I feel about people who refuse to watch a movie simply because it isn’t in color.

But it’s on the list. So I’m watching it. And I’m having a really hard time staying interested in it. Isn’t Buster Keaton supposed to be some kind of national treasure or something? Like, do people actually like his movies or is that just something hipsters say so they can look like they’re cool? This didn’t do anything for me.