Chase Scenes In The General

The chase scenes in The General can be considered modern because it employs an abundance of continuity editing, which is still used today. Analytical editing (a type of continuity edit) is used when Johnny hops off the train to tie the rope around the telegraph line. There is first a long shot of Johnny jumping off the train and seeming to walk out of the frame. Next, the camera is behind him as he walks in the frame and throws the rope on the line. Instead of this action taking place in a single, wide shot, it is broken down into another angle.

Furthermore, an example of the usage of shot-reverse-shot in The General is when Annabelle and her father and brother speak about how "Johnny is a disgrace to the South". This method is extremely prevalent today. When comparing this scene to a more modern film, such as the chase scene from The Dark Knight we watched in class, Harvey Dent and Rachel are speaking to each other at the beginning of the chase scene in shot-reverse-shot. In modern films, shot-reverse-shot is so commonly used that it is difficult to
say that there could be a blockbuster film that doesn't use them at all.

Also, the chase scenes in The General are modern because it utilizes intercutting.
For instance, the film shows a medium shot of Johnny's train pulling the telegraph pole over. This shot is instantly followed by the Union officers trying to use the telegraph and realizing that it won't work. Next, Johnny is shown cutting off the rope holding the pole. These events are edited so they look like they are occurring at the same time. In The Dark Knight, it is evident that this method is used as well. In its chase scene, there is a shot of the police cars and a helicopter traveling through Gotham. Then, an officer is shown confronting a man in a truck and is killed by the Joker. Finally, an aerial shot of the police cars is shown driving through Gotham again. Even though this arrangement of shots may not be the most effective, it does appear to the viewer as if these actions are taking place at the same
time.

However, the continuity editing in The General is outdated at times because modern films have taken this style of editing to another level. In comparison to The Dark Knight (and other action films), more complex analytical, intercutting editing methods are employed. For example, Joker is shooting at the police van at 2:02 in this clip:

The viewer sees a variety of shots pieced together that appear quickly so they can see what is occurring inside the van. First, Joker is seen shooting. Then, the reaction of the two officers at the front of the van is shown. Next, a shot of the bullets hitting the side of the police van appears. A shot of the SWAT officer with the bullets indenting the back of the van behind him follows. Finally, there is a shot of Harvey Dent ducking and the film returns to the shot of Joker shooting at the van.

However, in The General, there is not a huge variety of shots when Johnny is inconveniencing the Union train by throwing items from the car onto the tracks. Johnny is seen in a medium-long-shot tossing objects off the car, and then an extra long shot of the Union struggling to move them off the tracks follow. These shots appear on the screen for a longer duration than the various shots in The Dark Knight and other films. When comparing cuts in these chase scenes, The General's is simpler and slow-paced, making it appear outdated. Modern action films containing chase scenes tend to implement faster-paced analytical and intercutting editing styles.