Buster Keaton's Movie Genius: Perfect Timing, Great Technique

The films of Buster Keaton seem to be very similar on the surface. He starts off with a boy wanted the attention of a girl, only to have an obstacle appear that forces the boy to overcome the problems by impressing the girl with either physical stunts or courage. In the end, the films usually end happily, with the boy and the girl together. Although it may sound repetitive, Keaton kept his films fresh by technical genius and incredible stunts that left not only his on screen love impressed, but also the entire audience. The General is no exception. Looking at a few key scenes from the film will show how Keaton was able to set up jokes with perfect timing, but will also show his ability to put the camera in the right spot for each gag.

The first scene to notice is Jimmie (Keaton) trying to enlist in the Confederate army in order to impress his girlfriend. After jumping over tables to be the first in line, Jimmie proudly states his name and occupation. The teller leaves the table and asks his boss if using an engineer in the army would be of any use. The boss tells him that the engineer would be of better use to the Confederates if he stayed an engineer. Of course, the teller does not inform Jimmie about the reasons they do not accept him, so Jimmie assumes it's his physical stature.

Standing off to the side, after pounding his chest and flexing his muscles, a tall, muscular man walks into frame and reads his acceptance card. Jimmie, standing behind him, compares his size to the big man and feels that his assumption was right. That is, until a man the same size as Jimmie walks into frame with a military card. Keaton does this scene with one take, allowing the audience to see the reaction of Jimmie with both characters. With both the tall and short men walking in and out of frame while Jimmie is standing in the middle, the joke is amplified. The timing is perfect as well, having one leave frame for just enough time for Jimmie's reaction before the next walks in.

Later in the film, Jimmie is stranded and alone in enemy territory. It seems that nothing can get any worse, until a torrential downpour starts. Finding shelter in a cabin, he goes into the dining room where the table is set for dinner. No one is in view, so Jimmie starts to fill his pockets with food. The camera keeps rolling and, in one take, shows Union army members walk into frame while Jimmie hides underneath the table. Again, the timing and placement of the camera make the joke better. Not only is the scene funny, but it advances the plot because while under the table, Jimmie hears the Union soldiers going over their battle plans. Jokes are not only to be funny, but are used to move the story along.

A small scene that really exemplifies Keaton's use of timing is later in the film while escaping the Union soldiers after saving his girlfriend. Jimmie gets off of the train in order to bend the track so the soldiers cannot follow him. After pulling this off, his girlfriend cannot stop the train and it begins to ride away from him. Just as it is getting out of site, Jimmie slides down a hill to meet the train down the track. As he gets down the hill his girlfriend figures out how to work the train and it starts to go backwards, back up the hill. The train and Jimmie both move at the right time for the gag to work. If the train were any closer, there would be no way she could miss him. If it were further away, the audience wouldn't see it and would miss the joke. The stunt is impressive, but the timing is perfect.

Taking into consideration the films of Buster Keaton, it's obvious that he could set the camera up in the perfect spot in order to film his stunts and jokes. Not only was he a great performer that knew how to take a fall, he could get the most out of his work because of his technical knowledge. These few scenes are just an example of Keaton's timing and ability as a stunt performer. By knowing where to put the camera, his films have been able to stand the "test of time" and continue to please audiences around the world.