Film Log- The General

Movie: The General
-1926, black and white, 107 min
-Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
-Actors: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

Johnnie (played by Keaton) is a Southerner who has two true loves: Annabelle Lee, and his train. The story follows Johnnie as he is denied a position in the Confederate Army to serve as an engineer. According to filmsite.org The General is a story based on a "Civil War story of the daring raid/seizure by a group of about two-dozen Union spies of a Confederate train near Atlanta." Johnnie must rescue both the train and win back his love Annabelle in this film.

Q: Why is the use of body language so crucial in Keaton's film?
A: During the times of silent films, the use of sound and gesture is crucial to get the point of the story across. Buster Keaton is widely known for his contributions to the world of film, and with that, he really used his body as a comical feature and also to exaggerate emotions in order to justify the story line. His gags are funny because he has a way of working with his body to continually fall and get back up again--a huge addition to the character's personality. The use of facial expressions of every actor in this film is also crucial in order show the attitudes and emotions of the supporting actors-- also, it shows how one's personality reflects off the other--giving that character a dominant position or not.

Q: What is the significance of lighting/ angles in The General?
A: Keaton and Bruckman use the camera in so many great ways at a time of early film development. The camera really shows the difference between the Confederate and Union soldiers by placing the camera at a low shot and capturing the movement of the soldiers. The camera also acts as a focusing tool to guide the viewer to look at certain things (i.e: railroad tracks, costuming, etc). The lighting is also important because the scenes shot on the train are in natural lighting, whereas the indoor scenes use high-key lighting to really emphasize facial expressions and characters.