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
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