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34. The General - Cannonball Run

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The silent film era produced the template for the modern action sequence. The freedom of the camera in both placement and movement, soon to be shackled by the demands of sound, allowed for the imagination of early filmmakers to soar. Buster Keaton in particular took advantage of the medium’s potential, and in his favorite effort, which he co-directed with Clyde Bruckman in 1927, he created a sequence that holds up against its progeny.

The camerawork and acting are superb. Note how Keaton subtly slips his foot into the connector to set up one of the scene’s many gags. He doesn’t telegraph the bit; it just happens.

The tight plotting of the action, which would be echoed later by the likes of Spielberg, builds to a clever payoff, shot at just the right angle for clarity with economy.

This sequence is also indicative of a type of action scene that doesn’t necessarily rely on a battle to play out. The conflict is between our hero and his circumstance (kind of like “situation action” instead of “situation comedy”). Here Keaton fights the cannon as much as the Union officers in the car ahead.

Which brings us to another point. How in the hell does Keaton expect us to root for the Confederacy? Well, the short answer is, he doesn’t. He expects us to root for his character, who only tries to join the army to impress his love, Annabelle, and only fights the Union troops to get her back when they kidnap her. Toward the end, however, it becomes a bit more like a conventional war film which is, shall we say, problematic.

A little bit of extra at the end of this clip, but since it’s The General, that’s not a bad thing…

See also: The rest of The General (even the sketchy Confederate parts), Harold Lloyd gives Jackie Chan a run for his money in Safety Last!, Chaplin boxes in City Lights

Next: When my wife dressed as one of the characters from this sequence for Halloween, people thought she was supposed to be a Catholic schoolgirl. I don’t know how they explained the big-ass mace.