The General (1926), with live score by Blue Grassy Knoll
Legends of the live silent cinema experience, Blue Grassy Knoll perform their rousing score to Buster Keaton’s The General (1926) in this special 100th anniversary screening.
Co-directed by and starring one of silent cinema’s greatest artists, Buster Keaton, The General is an action comedy set during the American Civil War.
With an uproarious live score by gypsy-bluegrass ensemble Blue Grassy Knoll, this open-air screening offers a rich, immersive celebration of classic cinema and live performance.
The deckchairs will be out, or you can BYO picnic rug – and bring along a film or music-loving friend to share this very special Big Screen and live music experience.
Presented by Fed Square with support from Insite Arts, as part of Open Air at the Square.
Over their 28-year career, Blue Grassy Knoll have cemented their place as one of Australia’s most well-loved, accomplished and enduring performance troupes. In recreating the silent movie experience the band sits watching the film with the audience, playing their own original compositions, and using the film itself for their cues – a truly amazing experience to witness.
When writing for silent films, the Blue Grassy Knoll have developed an organic process of generating music to moving image that is uniquely collaborative. They draw on influences from a hugely diverse range of musical sources, creating arrangements and textures that mirror contemporary film scoring concepts. They aim to re-invigorate classic films with a modern aesthetic and energy, as well as inject a spontaneity that comes with live performance and improvisation. Their aim is always to deliver what they believe would be the intention of director had he knowledge of today’s film scoring techniques.
Dir. Buster Keaton | 1925 | 89 minutes | United States | Classification: G
Based on the true American Civil War-era story as told in William Pittender’s 1889 memoir, The Great Locomotive Chase, The General follows Buster Keaton as Johnnie Gray, a devoted train engineer whose world is turned upside down when Union spies steal his beloved locomotive – and his sweetheart along with it. What follows is one of cinema’s most iconic chase sequences, as Johnnie races across enemy lines to win back both his engine and his love.