The General Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

The General Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 5, 2019

Note: This version of this film is available as part of The Buster Keaton Collection: Volume 1.

One of the little tidbits that was revealed in a passing comment by Charles Cohen in a supplement included on The Great Buster: A Celebration was that Cohen Media Group had acquired all but one of Buster Keaton’s silent films some time ago, and that the entire catalog was being brought up “to 4K standards”. I posited in our The Great Buster: A Celebration Blu-ray review that Cohen’s comment might augur well for future Keaton film releases from Cohen Media Group and/or Cohen Film Collection, and that prediction has now come true with this first volume aggregating two of Buster Keaton’s all time classics, The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Both of the films in this first volume of Keaton films from Cohen have had previous Blu-ray releases courtesy of Kino. For a summary of this film's plot mechanics (no pun intended), as well as for the opportunity to compare screenshots, I refer you to my colleague Casey's Broadwater's review of the previous release:

The General Blu-ray review

I'll only add in passing that as many film fans probably know, The General was shot in my home state of Oregon, and while the Kino release contains some "tour" footage of filming sites as part of the supplementary package (sadly missing on this Cohen release), what some may not realize is that there are tours available in Cottage Grove where you can personally visit some of the filming sites.

The General Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Both The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr. are presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Film Collection, an imprint of Cohen Media Group, with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.32:1. I'll make some generalized comments about both transfers (which will be included on both reviews), before moving on to individual comments. Casey gave very high marks to the transfers on the previously released Kino Lorber versions, and while I know readers may sometimes feel like these scores "should" be objective criteria that are standardized among different reviewers, the fact is they aren't, and I personally would have given slightly less generous scores to the Kino versions, so some may want to take that into account when "comparing" my scores for these releases versus Casey's assessment of the Kino versions. The first thing some data miners may notice is that the aspect ratio on the Cohen version of The General is very slightly narrower than on the Kino Lorber version, but I have to say you'd be hardpressed (or at least I'd be hardpressed) to point out any significant framing "problems" due to this variance. The tinting that Casey mentioned in his review of The General and which can be easily spotted in several of the screenshots Casey included is not replicated on the Cohen release. One of the biggest differences videophiles will notice on these Cohen versions is the virtual absence of any of the damage Casey noted in both of his reviews of the Kino versions. Scratches, nicks, unstable frames and other distractions have been either outright eliminated or vastly ameliorated on these new Cohen versions.

Casey found very little to complain about with regard to the Kino release of The General, though he did note some passing damage. As mentioned above, the restoration Cohen has undertaken on this title has removed any significant issues, and the result is a wonderfully organic looking presentation that frequently boasts almost jaw dropping detail levels, considering the age of the film. While this version doesn't have any tinting, contrast is strong, and gray scale very nicely modulated. Clarity is excellent throughout the presentation (with an understanding of the technologies utilized), and to my eyes is at least marginally better than on the Kino release. Some silent film buffs tend to chafe at 24 fps progressive presentations, but I found this version to offer remarkable fluidity, with no signs of "stuttering" or other issues that sometimes attend presentations of silents.

The General Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr. feature DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks offering Carl Davis' sumptuous orchestral scores for the films. The Kino releases each had several different scores from which to choose, and this is one area (along with supplements) where some fans may feel the Cohen offering comes up short. That said, the track offered here is beautifully full bodied and offers sterling fidelity for Davis' often very evocative music. Both tracks exhibit substantial warmth and nicely expressive dynamic range. For the record, a Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also available.

The General Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cohen has released this first set of Keaton films on one disc, and so the supplements are not necessarily tied only to one individual film.

• Reflections on The General (1080p; 5:28) offers a collection of brief talking heads commenting on the film. Some of them, like Ben Mankiewicz, are amusing if not overly insightful, while others, like an extremely animated Quentin Tarantino, may strike some as being unnecessary.


• Buster Keaton: The Luminary (1080p; 5:19) offers many of the same interview subjects talking about Keaton in general, as opposed to Keaton in The General. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)


• The General Restoration Trailer (1080p; 1:46)


• Steamboat Bill, Jr. Restoration Trailer (1080p; 00:53)

The General Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The General remains at the very apex of the silent film era for a number of reasons, and it remains one of the greatest examples of Buster Keaton's particular genius. This Cohen version offers superb video, though fans may want to balance that "plus" against the "minuses" that this Cohen release does not have the audio options or supplements of the Kino version. Highly recommended.