The General

A century after its premiere, it is worth returning to the most iconic role of one of the unquestioned legends of American silent cinema: Buster Keaton. Loosely inspired by real events from the Civil War, The General is a fast-paced, action-filled comedy. Its hero is an accidental one: a train engineer forced to recover a locomotive stolen by spies and rescue his beloved Annabelle, who is being held in one of its carriages.

In little more than an hour, directors Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman pack the film with an astonishing number of chases, confrontations and slapstick gags. The very premise of a story unfolding almost entirely aboard moving trains and railcars became so closely associated with Keaton that he returned to it four decades later in one of his final screen appearances, the short film The Railrodder.

Marcin Grudziąż

Buster Keaton (1895–1966) – American actor and director, a pioneer in the fields of film editing and stunt work. Hailed from a family of vaudeville artists, he graced the stage since childhood. His film career took off alongside Fatty Arbuckle. With his enigmatic, stone-faced comedic style, Keaton carved out an iconic persona. His most renowned films include Sherlock Jr., Our Hospitality, and The General. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1959.

23rd New Horizons IFF Catalogue

Clyde Bruckman (1894–1955) – American screenwriter and director, best known for his work on silent‑era comedies. He co‑wrote several of Buster Keaton’s most celebrated films, including Sherlock Jr., The Navigator, Seven Chances and The General, which he also co‑directed. Over the course of his career he collaborated with many major figures of early American comedy, among them Harold Lloyd, Monty Banks, W.C. Fields and The Three Stooges.