The General??? and how it overcomes technical lacks For this review, I will look into the 1926 film ???The General??? which is co-directed by Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton and starring Keaton himself, Marion Mack and Glen Cavender. Although this silent comedy film did not receive much acclaim both critically and commercially at the time of its release, it gained repute in the eyes of more contemporary critics and viewers. Here, I will look into the theme of the film, the setting The barely 80-minute film tells the story of a young man single-handedly recovering his stolen train and winning the respect and love of her ladylove in the height of the American Civil War. Done in the nascent years of the cinema, the film is set in black and white and the technical aspects were not yet as refined as the cinema of the later years. Still, the film made up for this forgivable lack by pouncing on its comic appeal and the superb crafting of fundamental filming techniques. The theme of the film is centered on the guile of man and his ability to persist even in the face of direst times.