Product Description

MASTERED FROM A 35MM ARCHIVE PRINT STRUCK FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE

THE NUMBER 18 GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME (AFI 100 YEARS... 100 MOVIES)

Consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made, Buster Keaton s THE GENERAL is so brilliantly conceived and executed that it continues to inspire awe and laughter with every viewing. This Kino Ultimate 2 Disc Edition was mastered in HD from a 35mm archive print struck from the original camera negative. Rejected by the Confederate army as unfit, and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), young Johnny Gray (Keaton) is given a chance to redeem himself when Yankee spies steal his cherished locomotive. Johnny wages a one-man war against hijackers, an errant cannon and the unpredictable hand of fate while roaring along the iron rails. Every shot has the authenticity and the unassuming correct composition of a Mathew Brady Civil War photograph, wrote film historian David Robinson, No one not even Griffith or Huston and certainly not Fleming (Gone With the Wind) caught the visual aspect of the Civil War as Keaton did.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Three musical scores to choose from:
(1) Music composed and conducted by Carl Davis, performed by The Thames Silents Orchestra (in 5.1 Stereo Surround or 2.0 Stereo)
(2) Music arranged and directed by Robert Israel
(3) Theatre organ score by Lee Erwin
- A video tour of the authentic General, presented in association with The Southern Museum
- A tour of the filming locations, presented by John Bengtson, author of Silent Echoes
- Behind-the-scenes home movie footage
- Filmed introduction by Gloria Swanson
- Filmed introduction by Orson Welles
- The Buster Express, a brisk montage of train gags from throughout Keaton s career

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2002 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-11-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: NTSC, Silent, Surround Sound
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 78 minutes

Customer Reviews

One of the Best Silent Comedies
The General is an absolute comedy classic - even in front of a modern audience this movie draws more laughs than newer "comedies". If you aren't familiar with Buster Keaton this is a great place to start. His amazing athleticism and timing are on full display here, and the train scenes (basically the whole movie) are a veritable ballet.

As for the blu-ray itself, I've never seen the movie look better. You won't be using it as a demo disc for your system, but the detail and clarity are top notch. I consider this a must buy for a serious movie collector!

Southern Comfort
This is a remarkable blu-ray from Kino. The image is crystal clear without any digital hardness and the fine grain of the film is retained to boot. The various scores offered (Carl Davis' being first up on the list and the perfect one to listen to)and all the suppliments from the DVD edition are offered here. The simple menu design and the directness with which the blu-ray loads are all a sharp slap in the face to the majority of lesser films released in the format that have unbearably convoluted and tediously clever menus that load slowly and ultimately result in having to shuffle through endless onscreen paperwork.

THE GENERAL is a remarkable film, more epic even than GONE WITH THE WIND, it is truly not only one of the greatest silent films ever made, but one of the greatest American films ever made, despite whatever the idiot AFI might think (they left it off of their first 100 Greatest Films of All Time list, in fact not a single Buster Keaton film made it to that list, as well as Murnau's SUNRISE). This is action/adventure of the highest order, as thrilling as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and even better, for it's all really there - the dam breaking, the ensuing flood, the long tracking shots with the trains chasing each other, people running through fire and exploding shells, the collapsing bridge - all of it is done in real time before the camera, no minitures, no cgi. Outstanding film, very funny, and full of jaw-dropping sequences that are enacted for real. A Buster Keaton, and an American, masterpiece.

Too Good to Miss
The General is one of a handful of movies that I can't recommend more highly.

Some great old movies are a little bit like spinach. They're good for you, so you HAVE to watch them, even though you'd really rather not.

This movie's not like that. You start watching dutifully, and within five minutes or so you've forgotten that it's a silent movie. It's an adventure story full of narrow escapes, and a war movie with Civil War battle sequences that remain some of the most authentic ever filmed to this day. During the locomotive chase, I'm continually tempted to shout advice to the characters on the screen. (Okay, you probably don't want to watch a movie with me.)

The General is a comedy throughout, but the laughs don't detract a bit from the adventure. There are long tracking shots that would make Steven Spielberg jealous. There are no computer-generated special effects, but there are stunts that still make audiences gasp -- including one you're not likely ever to forget.

Several years ago, Kino Video released this on DVD as part of the Art of Buster Keaton collection, with a musical score by Robert Israel. I've held onto a 20-year-old laser disc version from Thames Television because I prefer that version's score by Carl Davis. It appears that this blu-ray edition will offer both scores, plus a theatre organ score by Lee Erwin.

(I write this review without yet having seen the actual blu-ray disc. It's the great, great movie itself that I want to recommend.)