GRANDDADDIES OF CINEMA - THE SILENT MOVIE WEEK : THE GENERAL

Looking back on my previous entries, I’m pretty sure you must be slightly bemused by the fact that my choice of viewing matter seems to be less of a choice and more a series of fortuitous events that lead me from one film to another. I wish I could offer an explanation for it. Say I made it up for your amusement or something. But honestly, that’s exactly what happens. I have an archive of films and I paw through them going “Umm, how to amuse myself today”. I will happen across a film and say “ah, I’ve been wanting to watch that for a while” (not an entirely fair statement seeing as this sentence can be applied to the greater part of my archive) and pounce. I will, perhaps, decide to make a “theme” out of it and sort out some of its “brothers and sisters” in time for next week’s fare but basically the choice of theme is, yes, as random as it looks. Or Devine design (and in this particular case God is working in more mysterious ways than usual but anyways…). In some cases I will haphazardly watch a bunch of films and realize they make a theme (that was last week! I completely unthinkingly watched The King’s Speech on a Saturday and Cry Freedom on the Sunday. In Cold Blood was finished on the same Saturday). In short, if you wonder why and how we have skipped from “historical events” last week to “1920’s silent movies” this week, I honestly don’t have a clue. So there. If you figure it out, let me know – as far as I know I just saw The General with Buster Keaton in it and said “Oh yes, this has been lying around for ages” watched it, loved it and decided to follow it down with Charlie Chaplin and Metropolis the following days… I’m not sure if this is a fitting introduction for such great artists but they were the greatest comedians of our times and the situation is pretty darn funny so I reckon they won’t mind…
The General is not a general per se but a train. And Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is its loving driver. There is one thing / person he loves more than the General and that is his best beloved. Now, the General is a steam engine of course for we are back in the time of the American civil war. And alas, the war has already reached her hometown in the South.His sweetheart's brother and father both enlist at once and she expects Johnnie to do the honorable thing – i.e. enlist as well. Now, Johnnie is more than happy to oblige but the authorities who hear he’s an engineer won’t have him – he’s much more valuable as an engineer, trains are the fastest modes of transport of the time. But his girlfriend's mind is made up. Unless Johnnie enlists, she wants nothing further to do with him. So poor Johnnie labors on as does the war… Until one fateful day, when Johnnie’s General is abducted by northerners… And to make matters worse his beloved ?? is taken hostage. With the two things he loves the most in the hands of enemies; Johnnie knows there is only one thing left to be done. Cross enemy lines and get them back. By himself.
Now this film was made in 1927. When movies were “movies” as opposed to the later “talkies”; no sound, constant piano music, a lot of the action and speech is mimed with “explanations” written on a black screen – you know what I’m talking about… So especially comedies had a completely different way of functioning. Slapstick was, basically, all they had. And heck, were they good at it! Now don’t turn your nose up at slapstick and physical comedy. I know these days it’s more associated with private parts and underwear but remember kids, this was the ‘20s! Bare flesh was a no – no. So were “rude” jokes of this sort. Some little comic twists took me completely by surprise even; I’m just not used to thinking that way! Now, I didn’t actually laugh out loud as I watched this film but I don’t think I stopped smiling once. It is brilliant, funny from beginning to end without once losing beat. You may call it “naïve” and look down your noses at it but well, remember what Zorba the Greek said : “Clever men and grocers, they weigh everything.” – one can have too much of a good thing. Thinking included.