Battle of Mafeking (1900) User Reviews

Nice Short

[Michael_Elliott · 19 April 2009]

Battle of Mafeking (1900)

*** (out of 4)

Nice Edison short is a re-enactment of The Siege of Mafeking, which was a famous battle in the Second Boer War. In the pre-Griffith epic, we see a battle going on as various soldiers are stationed upon a hill. The action includes some wild gun battles as well as one side trying to charge. If you're a fan of epic films then this is one you'll certainly want to see. You might wonder how something running just over a minute could be called "epic" but I think you'll understand after watching this. While the movie might not last very long you can help but marvel at the ambition in the film. The battle we see is actually quite large with a big group of extras scattered throughout this hill. How the director, whoever it was, kept everything going would be interesting to hear.

Reenactment of a famous battle

[rbverhoef · 6/10 · 2 August 2006]

This single shot film is a reenactment of a famous South African battle. We see one party with two cannons on one side of the hill and a second party on the other side. After a while the first party attacks and we witness a battle where all but a few find their death. Although the action is hard to follow the position of the camera is nicely chosen.

From its first film the Edison Manufacturing Company has produced over a thousand of short films. The most famous is probably 'The Great Train Robbery', considered to be the first western, even though it was shot in New Jersey. The Brothers Lumière and Georges Méliès did their part in developing the cinema in France, Edison and later D.W. Griffith were their American counterparts.

As for the single shot films from the Edison Manufacturing Company, they are all historically interesting. For some reason those from Lumière have a higher entertainment value, if that's what you should call it, but that does not mean they are more important. The Edison Manufacturing Company's short films existing out of multiple scenes belong to the highpoint of American cinema.