Friday, January 29, 2016
Gag and Story
In comedy, especially in physical comedy, there is always a tension between the gag and the story. The gag is a visual joke, be it a pratfall or an unexpected (and sometimes seemingly impossible) achievement. If a comedy focus too much on the gag, the story bogs down. That was one reason so many early silent comedies were shorts. If a comedy focuses too much on the story, there is not enough visual invention to be funny. The General, however, is widely viewed as a masterpiece in integrating the jokes and narratives. FOCUS on one visual gag and explain how it serves the interest of the story in terms of such things as plot, character, or theme.
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Although the gag and story reel can sometimes become convoluted in silent comedies, in The General, Buster Keaton integrates realistic gags that flow into the story in a masterful way. One of his best gags in the movie is when Johnny Grey (Keaton) has to run out in front of the train and remove debris. The story aspect of this scene is that we know that the train needs to keep moving forward in order to rescue the girl and for Johnny to be the hero. The gag part comes in when the train catches up with our protagonist and grabs him up with the ‘cow catcher,’ creating a comic feel of helplessness, as is common with Keaton’s character in this film. Next, Johnny uses a piece of tinder to catapult another piece off the track in a perfectly executed scene. It is such a great gag because you know they really did this and Keaton really did ride on the front of this train. How this fits in so well in the story is because it allows us to see the ingenuity of Johnny along with his unrelenting passion to rescue the girl. The scene is so well filmed and acted that it fits seamlessly into the story of Johnny’s journey along the track. And overall, the gags in this movie simply add to the story, not take away from it. They are only a distraction of comedy, not a distraction of the plot. The General is a masterpiece in the silent comedy era because of these traits.
ReplyDeleteBuster Keaton incredibly incorporates both the gag and the story into his film, The General. One visual gag is when Johnnie is attempting to launch a cannon ball into the train that he is chasing. He is chasing the train in order to have another chance with his girlfriend, so he is obligated to rescue her. Throughout the movie, his character is portrayed as accident-prone, but those accidents always help him in the long run, and this scene is an example of just that. The gag begins with Johnnie placing a cannon ball into a cannon attached to the back of his train. As the train keeps moving, the cannon slowly begins to tip down, right towards the back of his own train. As the time is quickly passing, Johnnie knows he must act fast in order to not injure himself. While he is trying to get away from the cannon, he is tangled in chains which creates suspense for the audience because we do not know when the cannon is going to go off. Eventually he is freed and climbs as far away from the cannon as he can. As the train starts to turn, the cannon finally shoots out the cannon ball and, of course, it is to Johnnie’s advantage as it hits the train that he has been attempting to stop. After such an occurrence, Johnnie’s “great stone face” appears once again. Following many gags in which he is at fault, he has no reaction towards it. Buster Keaton’s ability to create perfectly timed gags and have Johnnie appear to have no emotion when they occur is the reason that The General is widely viewed as a masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteUnlike other short silent comedy films, Buster Keaton's, The General, incorporates gags to help the progress of the story and this allows it to be a much longer film. One very good gag was when Johnny Grey is using his broken sword to direct troops, doing pretty much the same thing that the army commander was doing, and he accidentally kills the Union soldier that was silently taking out the Confederate soldiers. Johnny's blade comes off the handle every time he swings it; this gag makes the audience laugh because of Johnny's reaction, which is almost none. Part of the gag is showing the lack of reaction, and showing Johnny's very neutral expression. Part of this gag is that every time Johnny looks away, one of his soldiers gets killed and when he notices them, he has no reaction and just keeps directing the ones that are still alive. The gag ends when he swings his sword, and when the blade comes off, it kills the Union soldier and he does not even notice, this time he does not go to get his blade. The fact that the audience knows exactly what is happening and Johnny has no idea improves the gag and adds to the fact that Johnny is an oblivious man who really does not know what he is doing and is followed by luck. This gag helps the story because this is why the Confederate soldiers win the battle. If Johnny had not killed the soldier, he would have most likely been shot too and he would have never been able to fire the cannon and eventually blow up the dam to win the battle. The incorporation of gags such as this one to add to the story is what makes The General a great silent film movie.
ReplyDeleteBuster Keaton’s The General is able to find the delicate balance between too much comedy and too much story through its witty use of gags that all contribute (or delay) Johnnie’s journey. The use of a plot revolving around an expedition is instrumental: each comedic moment—and the whole movie in general—seems to have a destination and purpose rather than just being a collection of Johnnie’s amusing mistakes. Most gags serve to advance the plot in time and space, but also allow for development of character and theme. For instance, one of the most notable stunts takes place when Johnnie and Annabelle struggle to light a bridge on fire, with Union soldiers close behind them. Annabelle accidentally knocks a burning log into the kerosene-drenched area Johnnie has been preparing, and her mistake strands the engineer away from his lover, his train, and his own safety. Already the scene has taken steps in advancing the movie: it reiterates Annabelle’s helpless and useless quality, expresses the manner in which Johnnie will next try to stop the Union troops, and, of course, presents yet another obstacle in the couple’s path. That ‘obstacle’ only widens when Johnnie takes a daring leap over the fiery logs—and falls straight through the bridge. Though this stunt appears to be one of the most dangerous-looking gags of the movie, Johnnie emerges from the water safely and immediately scrambles back to be with his girl and train. The gag reinforces not only Johnnie’s incredible physical resilience but also his true dedication—or desperation, perhaps—for his cause. Though this scene is entertaining to watch, it has also effectively informed the viewer of the direction in which the story will head next while further developing the personalities of the two characters.
ReplyDeleteThe General starring Buster Keaton as Johnnie the engineer uses a combination of both unintentional and “gag” comedy to provide what people call a masterpiece of film. This is because they use comedy as a part of the plot, meaning the film wouldn’t make sense without their comedy scenes; each scene is key to the final product called The General. There is one scene in particular where Johnnie has recovered his girlfriend from a Northern holding point. Johnnie needed a way to steal back The General so he could return to southern lines and warn them of the incoming attack. But, in order to do that he needed to sneak in his girlfriend. Johnnie took a burlap sack and his girlfriend climbed in uncomfortably. Johnnie loaded her into one of the train cars to be followed by large heavy objects being thrown on top of her. Then Johnnie steals the train and it all works out. This scene is vital to the plot, as it is the beginning of the conflict resolution. Without Johnnie sneaking her in and stealing the train, there would be a large gap in the film. It also shows a development in Johnnie himself. In the beginning he was a very clumsy and confused character; now at this point he had developed to a mature soldier with quick thinking. Overall it shows how important enlisting was during that time period. It was expected that every man should enlist and those who did had the respect from their peers. The story of Johnnie develops the expectation of those who enlist.
ReplyDeleteThe General uses many effective gags that actually add to the story and do not distract the viewer from the plot. One of my favorite gags in the movie was when Johnny is told to not come back until he is in uniform so he walks away sadly and goes to sit on part of the train. While he is sitting the train starts to move but Johnny does not notice until the train is about to go through a tunnel. I think that this is a really good gag because it doesn’t take away from what is happening in the film but it also lights up the mood of the scene and it gives us a sense of Johnny's character. Annabelle not believing Johnny about him trying to enroll in the army and telling him not to come back without a uniform is a more serious moment in the film but even though it is serious, the mood is turned lighthearted with the train gag. A big theme in the movie is Johnny accidentally doing things that he did not mean to. The gag gives the viewer an insight on Johnny's character, since it is just the beginning of the film we are able to understand that Johnny is a very oblivious and maybe even not intelligent person. It gives this understanding of Johnny without having to deviate from the plot of the movie. A very important reason why it is not distracting is it's length. The gag is very short because of that it does not take away from the plot but rather helps it remain true to the film being a comedy.
ReplyDeleteIn The General, Buster Keaton finds a very strong balance between the gags and the story. In many scenes, this film that is well known for its comedy has an even more stimulating narrative. The audience may chuckle and laugh during one of Keaton’s famous gags while they may be on the edge of their seats as the Northerners chase him in another scene. All in all, the strength of a gag partly relies on how well it advances the character and the story. An entertaining gag is when Keaton attempts to enlist into the Southern army at the start of the film. Keaton isn’t accepted in the army because he is seen as more valuable to the South as an engineer. He is disappointed at first but then he realizes that in order to win favor with Annabelle he needs to be accepted into the army. Therefore, Keaton makes several whimsical efforts at being enlisted including using a different name and occupation and trying to steal another man’s ticket. This gag ends with a comedic intertitle: “If you lose this war don’t blame me.” This text is well placed and very ironic later on because Keaton singlehandedly wins the battle. In the midst of the hilarity, there is a clear advancement in both plot and character in the film as many questions await Keaton’s future in the South. This gag also shows how badly Keaton wants to become a soldier and also portrays him as tenacious which is evident in his successes later in the film. The theme also develops and becomes focused on the war and where Keaton’s place will be in this war.
ReplyDeleteThe General, a film directed by Buster Keaton is a film unlike any other from its time. The General is able to find an excellent balance between the gag and the story, a feat accomplished by few other films in the silent film era. While there are many successful gags throughout the film, one that really stood out was the scene in which Buster Keaton is chasing after the Union Army men in a train race. Like most gags, the scene is mostly physical humor, but one factor that sets this scene apart from other gags is the mental factor. The Union is afraid of Keaton and his train because they are under the assumption that Keaton is not alone, but in reality Keaton is the only man on his train and the Union has no reason to continue running, yet they still go to great lengths to avoid Keaton. The gag really develops Keaton’s character as throughout the scene the audience finds that Keaton is adventurous, quick on his feet, and brave through his many humorous physical actions to stay on course with the train. When Keaton uses tools from his own train to divert the roadblock set by the Union, not only does he do this in a very humorous fashion, but also manages to demonstrate his bravery and courage; a trait Keaton shows throughout the film and is central to his character. This scene also helps to develop the theme of “running from your problems” which is noticeable throughout the film as the Union is constantly running from what they think is an army, but is actually just one man. Once they find out it is just Keaton, they realize how silly they have been. This gag helps lead up to this realization, as the amusing physical stunts and chase build anticipation and theme development.
ReplyDeleteOne might initially think it is impossible to incorporate meaningful and engaging gags while maintaining a well-constructed story. However, Buster Keaton in The General manages to use gags in order to keep the audience impressed and amused while also telling an interesting story with minimal dialogue. The General rarely uses dialogue because it would hinder the experience of the audience by peeling their attention away from the acting for the intertitles. Buster Keaton believed the best silent movies required the least amount of intertitles because great acting should be able to convey the story with little dialogue; Buster Keaton manages to exactly this because the story is easy to understand even without much dialogue. Another reason why Buster Keaton relies heavily on gags is because of the complexity it brings to the experience. By incorporating long unedited stunts, The General seems very realistic. One of the best gags in the movie is when Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) is sitting on the front of the train trying to remove upcoming debris. With no cuts Johnny Gray actually throws a wooden block in order to flip over a thing of debris out of the way. If there had been any cuts or thrown in intertitles the experience would have been diminished. Buster Keaton felt like it was necessary that he do all of his own stunts without edits because he wanted to give audiences a realistic experience. It is still difficult to have both a great story and meaningful gags, but if it is done successfully like The General the finished product will be a movie unlike any other.
ReplyDeleteOne might initially think it is impossible to incorporate meaningful and engaging gags while maintaining a well-constructed story. However, Buster Keaton in The General manages to use gags in order to keep the audience impressed and amused while also telling an interesting story with minimal dialogue. The General rarely uses dialogue because it would hinder the experience of the audience by peeling their attention away from the acting for the intertitles. Buster Keaton believed the best silent movies required the least amount of intertitles because great acting should be able to convey the story with little dialogue; Buster Keaton manages to exactly this because the story is easy to understand even without much dialogue. Another reason why Buster Keaton relies heavily on gags is because of the complexity it brings to the experience. By incorporating long unedited stunts, The General seems very realistic. One of the best gags in the movie is when Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) is sitting on the front of the train trying to remove upcoming debris. With no cuts Johnny Gray actually throws a wooden block in order to flip over a thing of debris out of the way. If there had been any cuts or thrown in intertitles the experience would have been diminished. Buster Keaton felt like it was necessary that he do all of his own stunts without edits because he wanted to give audiences a realistic experience. It is still difficult to have both a great story and meaningful gags, but if it is done successfully like The General the finished product will be a movie unlike any other.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest challenges of making a comedy film is balancing storytelling and gags. This is especially difficult for silent film makers because they rely on acting to tell the story and convey gags. Buster Keaton’s The General is one of the few long silent films that have a good balance of storytelling and gag reels. Because Keaton uses gags to develop a character’s personality, he is able to incorporate gags into his story. One of the most conspicuous gags that adds to the film’s humor as well as contributes to the development of the characters occurs during Johnnie and Annabelle’s escape. During the escape Johnnie hops off the train multiple times to create obstacles for the Northern soldiers. At one point Johnnie hops off the train and attempts to divert the soldiers by breaking a fork in the track. To accomplish this, Johnnie chains the fork to the train and tells Annabelle to drive the train a few feet and dislodge the fork. Johnnie’s plan is successful. However, Annabelle is unable to stop the train. Johnnie tries to chase after the train but realizes that he cannot outrun the train. Using his knowledge of the train track route, Johnnie realizes that the train will loop around and go down the hill. Johnnie runs down the hill and waits for the train. However, when Johnnie gets to the bottom of the hill and sees the train coming, Annabelle figures out how to control the breaks and reverse the train. She stops the train and reverses it back up the hill forcing Johnnie to run back up the hill. This scene is not only funny for the viewer but also contributes to the development of the characters. From this scene viewers can see that although Johnnie is clumsy and not highly intelligent, he is clever and is able to utilize his surroundings for personal gain. We also learn that despite her clumsiness, Annabelle is an intelligent person. For a person who has never operated a train before, she is able to figure out how to stop and reverse the train on the spot.
ReplyDeleteIn most of the comical silent films that I have watched, the film has never had a tasteful balance of comic gag and story line. However, Buster Keaton’s film The General has a perfect balance between both gag and storyline. Although The General has many gags, the jokes aren’t drowning the storyline, creating a masterful silent comedy. One of the best gags in the movie is when Johnny Gray attempts to launch the cannon for the first time. His plan is to launch the ball through the air and have it land on the Northerner’s train that he is chasing. In the film, Johnny doesn’t use enough gun powder in the cannon and we can see the ball come out of the cannon and land short on his own train. This amazingly well pulled off gag is not done by editing the film, but actually launching the ball from the cannon. By creating this gag for real, the scene becomes more hilarious. Keaton sews the plot and gags together by portraying themes in the gag. Johnny’s initial failure doesn’t stop him from trying again. In his second attempt, Johnny grazes the Northerners with a close shot at them. Through this gag, Keaton portrays a main theme of never giving up. Because Keaton creates a harmonious balance between gag, plot and theme, The General can be classified as a masterful piece of film.
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