The 1927 film, The General, starring Buster Keaton as Johnnie Gray, is a clear depiction of an event that took place during the American Civil War. The film follows Johnnie, a Western & Atlantic train engineer as meet one of his two loves, his fiancée Annabelle Lee and the other is his engine locomotive, The General . He is at Marietta, Georgia when it is announced that the American Civil War has begun. He rushes to enlist in the Confederate Army, but is rejected as the troops believe that he is too valuable to take up the risky role of a soldier. Annabelle does not believe that he has enlisted and tells him not to talk to her until he is in uniform. Johnnie continues with his role as an engineer until a year passes when he encounters the enemy, who has stolen his locomotive. He gives them a chase first on foot, then using a handcar, bicycle, and then a locomotive he gets in Chattanooga. He ventures into enemy lines where he spies on them unnoticed while rescuing Annabelle in the process. Johnnie is finally enlisted as a Lieutenant in the confederate army making his fiancée proud.
Clearly, the film incorporates the use of many gags executed in one continuous take. The practice known as the long take is an effective means of providing credibility to the shot. The first scene depicts the presentation of the character Johnnie as he arrives at the station in Marietta, Georgia where he goes off to meet with his fiancée. The shot presents a composed man dedicated towards becoming an important person in his life. Despite two boys following him all the way from the station to his fiancée’s house, he does not notice them. The continuous take in presenting the interaction between Johnnie and Annabelle increases the credibility of the shot as it shows lack of editing and the skills of the actor in question. The long-take gives the impression of a continuous enactment of interactions between the main character and the society around him for 78 minutes. Numerous prop men are required in the filming of the scene to illuminate the continuous take.
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The long take has significant impact on the audience in the presentation of the film. In The General , the shot practice is used to introduce the audience to the setting, key characters, and provides an idea on the tone of the film. The film takes focus on Johnnie who has arrived at a railway station in Marietta and he sets out to meet his fiancée Annabelle. The focus on these two characters is a clear indicator of their importance in the film hence the audience should pay attention to the actions and activities that they take up. Using the long take, the film communicates the integral tone that will be taken. As Annabelle compels Johnnie to enlist for the war, the young man tumbles off the porch as he sets out to become the first one to enlist. The film informs the viewer of the comical aspect while maintaining the serious role of the main character.
A mixture of credibility and the long take as used in the film increases the impact, value, and appreciation of the movie. These are the various aspects used to describe The General . As one of the most expensive silent comedy of its time, the film incorporates credibility and long takes to have significant impact while increasing the value of the film. The movie included an accurate recreation of a historical event in the Civil War where a real train locomotive falls from a burning bridge and into a gorge. The depiction shows real encounters that many of the people who had participated in the war could associate with. The numerous scenes utilized hundreds of extras and dangerous stunts like the climactic chase scene where Union troops attempt to capture Johnnie before he can get back to the rebel troops of the south. The audience appreciates the entire art department in the creation of the film as it depicts a reenactment of real events and they are not fooled by numerous editing practices.
