1927: The General

It's an audacious idea to create a feature-length film consisting of two train chases with just a little plot padding and this focus on action can easily go wrong (cf. Kill Bill, Vol. 1). But Keaton and collaborators made it awe-inspiring and, at times, funny. Together with Sherlock jr. (the only other of his pictures I've seen), The General suggests that the famous comedian ought to be regarded as one of the great action movie directors. (8)