The General

1926 NR 1h 43m DVD

The General

1926 NR 1h 43m DVD
  • Overview
  • Details
Rejected by the Confederate Army, Johnnie Gray sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive in this classic silent film. When Northern spies steal his train, the intrepid Johnnie takes on the entire Union army to get it back.
Cast
Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Charles Henry Smith, Frank Barnes
Director
Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Format
DVD
Screen
Full Screen 1.33:1
Subtitles
None
CC
No
Audio
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Rating
NR - Not rated. This movie has not been rated by the MPAA.
age 7+
Common Sense rating OK for kids 7+
age 7+

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this great silent-comedy epic shows the Civil War from a Southern perspective and doesn't condemn (or even touch upon) issues of slavery or secession; it's just not an issue. There is slapstick violence -- never bloody or extreme -- involving cannon fire and explosions and some soldiers shot dead by a sniper (who gets accidentally stabbed dead). As with virtually all Hollywood silent cinema, some of the story requires reading intertitles. Video versions of this movie (including online downloads) vary in picture quality and enthusiasm of the soundtrack music; some DVDs include other silent short subjects as "extras," which might contain questionable elements (black-face minstrel jokes, for example). A recent movie called The General also exists -- but it's a brutal UK mob drama, utterly unrelated to this one, and rated R.

Sexual Content

Not applicable.

Violence

Wartime cannon-fire, plus train and vehicle crashes. A few soldiers shot dead (no blood); others knocked unconscious. One accidental gag death via sword.

Language

Not applicable

Social Behavior

A publicly rejected but valiant hero does his best and succeeds despite overwhelming odds and the fact that everyone else (including his girlfriend) believe him to be a coward.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Not applicable

  • Age appropriate
  • Not an issue
  • Depends on your child and your family
  • Parents strongly cautioned
  • Not appropriate for kids of the age

This information for parents is provided by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving kids' media lives.

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