The General is not only one of the greatest films of the silent era, but one of the funniest movies ever made. Keaton's masterful physical comedy brings to life a simple Civil War story about a young man, his girl, and his train. At an economical 75 minutes, there isn't a wasted scene or action; every gag drives the plot forward or adds to character development. And then there are the gags: whether he's struggling to fire a cannon from one moving train to another, or simply sitting atop the turning wheels of a locomotive, Keaton's sense of what was funny (and what was human) never failed.

Tony Peltier