The General Film Write Up

Justin Noddle

Period 6

The General Film Write Up

The General is a silent film made in 1926 released by United Artists based up the Great Locomotive Chase from 1862. The movie was considered a box-office disaster after it was released, but now it is considered one of the best movies ever made. The plot is based off of a railroad conductor who goes through struggles during the time of the American Civil War. He also is in love with a woman, who is his fiancée.

1.     How is Buster Keaton able to make this film so comical without sound?

To being, Buster is a very talented man. He put his life in danger many times for his films. He enjoyed the danger and was a rather depressed man and would go to the extremes to make his film a success. Facial expressions and getting the perfect angle on zoom on each shot greatly contributed to this movie’s humorous aspect. Obviously, Keaton draws up a perfect plot in which he is able to make clumsy mistakes that lead to a chuckle from the audience.  He is able to communicate to the viewer what should be taken from the scene by using character wardrobe, makeup, and especially hand movements. Actions of the characters are even stronger than words and they can play out the movie alone, just as they did in this film.

2.     How does the time period of when the film is created impact the effect that the plot has on the viewer?

The film is created in the 1920s and the film is based off of an event in 1861. In the 1920s they did not have special effects, color cameras, sound, or anything that we have today that make movies what they are. In order to make a successful movie, the directing and acting must all be excellent. The time of day to film and the place must be perfect as well because there was no touching up the setting or the lighting. There were many disadvantages to this time period that this film faced in creating it, yet it has become much more popular as the years have gone by. The romantic part of this film is still very common in films today. This has not changed since the 1920s. Also, the film used a somewhat current event to easily relate to the viewer and establish a connection.