Customer Reviews

The General [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1927, the American silent film "The General", now known as one of the greatest films ever made, was released in theaters.

But the film starring silent film star Buster Keaton was not a big success in the box office, in fact it was a box office disaster and received negative critic reviews. But only until later would the film be seen as the ultimate classic film making it into the American Film Institute's top 100 films of all time (at #18) and was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 1989, the first year of the registry.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"The General" is presented in full-frame (1:33:1) and is color tinted.

I just have to say that this is the best version I have ever seen of "The General". The film was mastered in HD from a 35mm archive print struck from the original camera negative but having seen this film only on public domain video files which were never complete or had this awful fading in an out and just difficult to watch, this 1927 film looks absolutely incredible. Is it 100% pristine? No. There are white specks and occasional film wearing but for a film this old, this is expected.

If anything, I was just in awe of how incredible this film looks. The detail is amazing and the clarity, again...fantastic. As for the colors, the film has a sepia look while the night time shifts to a bluish tint (which I've read in silent film books was intentional at that time). But seriously, this is probably the best we will ever see this film for a long time.

As for the audio, KINO International gives us three optional scores to choose from. The choice is a symphony based soundtrack composed and conducted by Carl Davis and performed by the Thames Silents Orchestra (featured in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 or uncompressed 2.0 Stereo). Also, included are previous scores used by "The General" in older releases by Robert Israel which was derived from traditional silent film utilizing a piano accompanied by strings and a theatre organ score by Lee Erwin recorded in Carnegie Hall and was used during the '70s theatrical issue of the film.

All three scores are well-done but during my viewing, I wanted to check out Carl Davis and the Thames Silent Orchestra and hear it in HD. The music was just crystal clear but most important is the fact that KINO International has given viewers a choice of musical score.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"The General" comes with the following special features in 1080i:

* Video Tour of the General - (18:05) Historian and locomotive expert Harper Harris explains to the viewer of the actual story of the real people (William Pittenger, who also wrote the book that inspired the film "The General") involved and how Keaton wanted to use "The General" for his film but veterans were against it.
* The Buster Express - (5:47) Buster Keaton enjoyed trains and how it was used in his films. Pretty much a montage of trains used in Keaton films.
* Tour of Filming Locations - (4:29) John Bengston shows us the locations of where "The General" was filmed and how it looks like today.
* Home Movie Footage - (1:00) A short featurette from the onlookers who filmed Keaton and the crew on the set of "The General".
* Intro by Gloria Swanson - (2:13) Silent film star Gloria Swanson presents "The General" and talks a little about the film.
* Intro by Orson Welles - (12:21) Orson Welles talks about his friend Buster Keaton and introduces the film for a broadcast of Paul Killiam's "The Silent Years". Orson Welles talks about his memories of the film and Keaton and more.
* Photo Gallery - Using your remote, you can cycle through publicity stills, posters and photos.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"The General" is such a great pleasure to watch. Watching it today, even comparing to many of the greatest chase scenes of all time, "The General" is the action film of that era that still shocks us today. I'm quite surprised of how epic and historically accurate this film was. From hundreds of extras (500 extras from the Oregon National Guard) wearing Union and Confederate uniforms, Buster Keaton doing thrilling but very risky stunts and one of the most expensive action scene used in a silent film of a train falling from a collapsed bridge.

Sure, today we see Jackie Chan and others doing these amazing stunts but back in the 1920's, to see Keaton doing these stunts and considering the lack of support during that time or the lack of a double used for stunts, the man was seriously risking his life in the making of these films. But he made it look easy and fun, Keaton...was absolutely fearless.

KINO international has given fans of this film more than they probably expect but we are very grateful. "The General" has never looked this incredible and for many of us who have only seen worn out versions on VHS or terrible quality video public domain files, this Blu-ray release is just a sight to behold. To see such detail and clarity for this 1927 film or for a silent action film is incredible.

For those who are building their Blu-ray collection and want quality must-own films, "The General" should be in your collection. "The General" is a Buster Keaton masterpiece that is indeed one of the greatest films of all time.

The Blu-ray version of "The General" is highly recommended!

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!

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.

Surprisingly there still seems to be some debate about whether or not Blu Ray is worth investing in. If you have any doubts about the high definition experience and what it can add to home entertainment, watch this excellent Buster Keaton classic and you will understand why Blu Ray is not going to be going away.

One of the first classics in all of film history, this is a heroic and hilarious story of war, love, and victory. It's 80 some odd years old and silent except for a great soundtrack.

About the Blu Ray transfer, let me simply say that it is pretty much perfect. There are understandably a few scratches and flickers here and there, but essentially it is an absolutely flawless representation of how the movie must have originally appeared. It is a great example of how a top notch transfer can revive even the oldest of films. If you've seen this before or even own a DVD copy, let me assure you the Blu upgrade is worth it. You haven't truly experienced it until you've seen it in 1080p. There's depth and detail that past generations couldn't even imagine this film contained.

Overall, 5 stars for the movie and 5 stars for this blu ray! Any doubters suspicious of Blu, or any doubters that older movies can't benefit from the technology are simply proven wrong with this release. Bring on more classics like this, it's like enjoying them for the first time again!

"THE GENERAL" (1926 with Buster Keaton) is an American Classic Silent Film period.

This review is to ALL MOVIE LOVERS young & old. I know silent films can be very taxing with Organ music sound track, flickering picture, washed out images and reading of the frequent dialogue cards flashing up on the screen every few minutes to keep you on the plot path. Also with the standard format (4:3 ratio).

Well believe me this Blu-ray movie is perfect because: KINO International used an original camera negative to remaster this 78 minute Black/White Full Frame mono toned sound movie classic to a Color Tinted TRUE HD (1080p) and 5.1 DTS HD Sound flawlessly. The picture clarity and sound is truely amazing!!!! (Especially since this was originally a 1926 silent film). To keep everything perfect this NEW 5.1 DTS-HD Master Track was Composed & Conducted by Carl Davis and performed by "The Thames Silents Orchestra". Together this new HD sight and Sound presents the MOST PERFECT SILENT MOVIE UPGRADE TO DATE!!!!!

This alone is worth the price of admission!!!

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE: 4 different Soundtracks (Music for ALL TASTES, Video tour of the Original "GENERAL" locomotive at "THE SOUTHERN MUSEUM", Then & Now film location tour, Be-Hind the Scenes home footage, Film Introductions from past stars Orson Welles & Gloria Swanson, and the "BUSTER KEATON EXPRESS" a montage of train clips throughout Keatons career.

So add this classic to your home theater experience. Everyone will be amazed. ENJOY!!!

P.S. - Just a note, Buster Keaton's acting w/those deadpan looks and the editing makes this picture so visually plotted there are a minimum of dialogue reading/cue cards show. We get the silent message do to the films craftsmanship and now with Carl Davis's update sound track!!!!! Amazing.

I have to admit to a bias here-I know Kevin Brownlow (and I met his producing partner, David Gill) and am familiar with all of his heroic work to preserve and present silent films in the best possible way, so if I gush here you know the reason.
To see a great silent film in a more-than-presentable print is such a rarity (remember that 90% of films made before 1950 are lost, with the vast majority of those being pre-1930), but to see one of the greats mastered directly from an intact nitrate print is-to put it bluntly-a miracle. Well, this is definitely one of those. I have seen Keaton's classic film in every format from Super 8mm to 16mm to a safety-film 35mm to various video releases, but the image detail and clarity of this version is just astounding. You can actually see textures on both people and objects with a clarity that today's modern film processes can't quite duplicate, and Keaton's (and cameraman Dev Jennings') recreation of the look of Mathew Brady's Civil War photography is finally available to be seen in all its glory here.
Now this is not my favorite film by Keaton (that honor goes to SHERLOCK, JR., which will be coming out on Blu-Ray later this year from Kino), but if I were to pick one silent film to show to a group of people who had never seen a silent film or who scoff at watching something in black-and-white, with no CGI and not even dialogue, this would be the film I would choose. Just knowing that Keaton actually dropped that engine off a bridge into the river-one take only, there could be no second try-gives the film a gravitas that today's comedies-hell, today's films-cannot even come close to. The gags are still brilliant, the individual shots still resonate, and Carl Davis' score matches the film frame-by-frame to create one of the best home video releases of a classic film.
Cannot wait for Kino's new restoration of METROPOLIS. . .

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.)

This is the second Kino release on Blu-ray that I've seen after the very good Battleship Potemkin [Blu-ray] and thankfully I haven't been disappointed. That said it may be a good idea to state up front that this release has been colour-tinted and so is not technically in black and white which may bother purists. For me though, I was happy with this as it helped to cover up a lot of picture imperfections and while the picture quality is not perfect, it is still commendable how well it looks despite the age. Although the gags are really old and for the most part only managed to raise a chuckle or two from me from time to time unlike Chaplin's works which still can give you a belly-ache from laughing I still found this movie fun to watch because of the great direction and cinematography. The landscapes and camera angles are very interesting and scenes like the train crashing into the ravine are classic and will stick in the mind long after viewing. The storyline is also a timeless lesson about overcoming social prejudice and proving yourself to win the heart of the one you love. The accompanying score especially the Carl Davis one is also very good and while not as good as the one from Potemkin it still improves the overall viewing experience. As for the special features I enjoyed the video tour of the real General the best. Overall I am very impressed with Kino for giving Criterion a run for the money as a viable alternative in the classic film restoration industry.

As for this blu-ray version of "The General" the picture quality has been restored substantially although certainly not to pristine perfect condition and the sound quality with regards the score is very, very good making this the best version of Buster Keaton's best work that is out there if you don't mind the colour-tinting. I've seen "Our Hospitality" which is actually pretty good and "Sherlock Jr." but "The General" is overall the best of these.

Recommended.

Ever since the Railroad Museum in Sacramento opened up it has been showing this movies nonstop and my son has wanted this movie ever since. Now that it is on bluray I have decided to purchase this as a gift for him. He absolutely loves it! Black & white movies look so much better and so do silent movies. The picture is clearer and the music is sharper. Blu-ray makes everything better.

I've have to say that with this version I own four different editions of this fantastic movie.
I have to say that this restoration is Awesome. There are scenes with pristine definition.

When the blu ray format was released I was sceptic about how movies this old would perform... This edition has cleared all my doubts... it is an example of how a restoration has to be made.

And what to say about the music?? I was eagerly waiting for an edition with the Carl Davis score (I only had an old VHS recording of it). Now... here it is!! And it's fantastic!!

A must have for every fan of this movie.