The General- Amber Merrell

The first aspect of The General’s cinematography that really stood out to me was how the use of the camera allowed for a much greater since of character development than with the other shorts that we watched. I believe that it is safe to say that most of us are used to dialogue being the main tool to get to know the characters in a movie. In this silent film, however, dialogue is minimal. For this reason I was expecting a film more like The Great Train Robbery where there were “main characters,” so to speak, but we never really learned much about them. The General, though, uses close-ups on the characters’ faces, especially Buster Keaton’s. This allowed us to see what he was feeling and thinking by analyzing his expressions and body language. Similarly, the use of close-ups adds to the comedic aspect of the film. Keaton’s face is priceless and quite hilarious, but would be lost in a long shot. In addition, his physical comedy sometimes needs closer shots in order to bring the focus to his actions.

The shots in The General are very much more sophisticated than the shorts. The variety and mixing of long and short shots shows this sophistication as does the use of moving shots. This variety allowed for not only character development but also a greater range of emotions felt by the characters and the audience. At the end of the film, for instance, when Keaton finally got the girl, the mix of camera shots used helped us, the audience, relate to the situation. When Keaton tries to go in for a kiss, a soldier walks by, forcing them both to salute and interrupting the intimate moment. The audience was able to gain an appreciation for the comedy and the frustration of the moment when the camera moved to a shot of the camp where all of the soldiers were getting up. Without this switch of shots the audience would have lost this hilarious and touching moment.