buster keaton the general and about a man and his engine and put you in a world where the most comically inventive situation that could happen will happen . from major comic situation to throwaway gag and the general always know what to do . the story begin in leisurely fashion . a title card tell u that johnnie gray ( keaton ) have two love in his life represent his engine and his girlrespectively and the general and annabelle lee ( marion mack ) . johnnie go to visit annabelle and follow by two engineer worship boy and and unknown to him and annabelle lee herself . he and his entourage arrive at the door while johnnie polish his shoe on the back of his pant legs and slick back his hair and and gently tap the door with the door knocker . then he turn to notice annabelle . keaton understated reaction be a testament to his uniqueness . any other comedian would have do an explosive double take . now johnnie and annabelle be together in her parlor and but the boy be there and too . johnnie stand up and put on his hat and open the door a if to leave . the hero worshipper be ready to follow and but johnnie let them out first and then close the door on them . this be a gentle ruse in the world of silent comedy . at keystone both boy would have get kick in the pant . now the two be alone . annabelle father see them from another room and be about to break thing up when her brother enters and announces that fort sumter have be fire upon represent the war between the state have begin . annabelle kiss her father and brother a they go to enlist and then turn expectantly to johnnie and who cock his head like a confused puppy . she ask and aren not you go to enlist . realization hit him and and he leap off the seat . before he can run out the door and annabelle kiss him . this so overwhelms johnnie that he fling out his arm in a farewell gesture and fall off the porch . johnnie race to the general store and which be now a makeshift recruitment office . take a shortcut he manage to be the first in line . the door to the office be open and johnnie come march inonly he and the rest of the line go in two different direction and and he have to jump over several table to get in front again . he give the enlistment officer his name and occupation and but the man reject him . johnnie be more valuable to the south a an engineer . later and annabelle believe that johnnie do not even try to enlist . she refuse to speak to him again until he in uniform . what follow be a classic moment represent johnnie sits on the connect rod of his engine . he so miserable that he doesn not notice when he start move up and down and until just before the train enter a tunnel . time pass and we learn that a group of unionist be secretly passenger on the general . when ( nearly ) everyone be off the train have dinner and the unionist climb back aboard and take the engine . annabelle and a passenger herself and be still on board . she be now their prisoner . but johnnie only know his beloved general have be steal and possibly by deserter . he pursue the engine by take another and the texas . through a mishap he become the sole person aboard the texas and but the unionist think theyre outnumber and continue to run . what follow be the true joy of the movie represent two long chase ( separate by an important plot twist ) . now the movie change it quiet pace for almost nonstop action . i love it when the unionist break off the rail car to hinder the texas . at one point and the car and which johnnie think he have switch to another track and reappears in front of the baffle engineer and only to disappear later just a mysteriously . we see the logical circumstance that lead to the car seem magic act and and the equally logical situation that keep keaton occupy and prevent him from see what we see . comic logic be important to the general . in no other movie do hyperbolic slapstick gag seem so plausible and inevitable . in a throwaway gag and johnnie empty a burlap sack full of shoe because he urgently need the sack . of courseof course . he lose his own shoe in the pile and must stop to hunt for it . we move to the second chase and where johnnie have the general and the unionist be the one pursue him . now johnnie must contend with annabelle lee . marion mack leave no mark of her personality on the screen . she deserve credit mainly for be willing and able to take it . bette davis and katharine hepburn be never throw around and tread upon or knock about the way marion mack be . she have hilarious moment . the excitement of the chase do not prevent her from take out a broom to sweep the dusty floor of the engine . an exasperated johnnie tell her to keep throw wood into the fire . she take a small stick and daintily put it in . johnnie sarcastically hand her a sliver and and she put that in and too . then and in a moment that have an audience roaring and clapping and johnnie grab her and half throttle her before kiss her instead . the final section and most of it a battle scene and include the shot where the texas begin to cross a burning bridge and only to crash into the river . owe to keaton disdain of fakery ( one of several reason his work seem modern ) he do not use a model but a real train on a real burning bridge . the crash cost $ 42 and 000reportedly make it the single most expensive shot ever in a silent film . a worthy closing gag be too tax even for keaton ingenuity . johnnie dilemma be to kiss his girl while salute the passing soldier . his remedy be only mildly funny . be anyone complain . the general be a work of art and a work of genius .