Buster Keaton holds a reputation as the most inventive of the silent film comedians, and The General is often held up as his crowning achievement. Watching it in the Uptown’s main floor theatre with its glorious 1920s architecture is about as authentic a reproduction of the glory days of film as one can find. The live Wurlitzer accompaniment fits the film flawlessly, impressive considering the keyboardist told the crowd what he plays is 80 per cent improvised. More than just a classic film, the performance of The General was a reminder of what made film worthwhile in the first place.