Attack on a China Mission is a 1900 British shortsilentdrama film, directed by James Williamson, showing some sailors coming to the rescue of the wife of a missionary killed by Boxers.[1] The four-shot film, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, was innovative in content and technique. It incorporated a reverse-angle cut and at least two dozen performers, whereas most dramatic films of the era consisted of single-figure casts and very few shots. Film historian John Barnes claims Attack on a China Mission had "the most fully developed narrative" of any English film up to that time."[2]
The director, inspired by Georges Méliès' influential eleven-scene dramatised documentary L'Affaire Dreyfus (1899), made the film to meet a perceived public demand for footage of the Boxer Rebellion, which began in the early months of 1900, at a derelict house called Ivy Lodge in Hove, where, according to Michael Brooke, "he went to considerable lengths to ensure that his film appeared to be authentic, kitting out the house with a bilingual Anglo-Chinese 'Mission Station' sign and drawing on his background as a chemist in order to fake gunshots and explosions."
PremiereEdit
The film was premiered at Hove Town Hall on 17 November 1900 (1900-11-17), where, according to Michael Brooke, it, "was such a success that the audience (fruitlessly) demanded a repeat screening there and then."
PreservationEdit
Just under half of the original 230 feet of footage survives, but, according to Michael Brooke, "it includes material from all four shots, and, despite some obvious trims (the initial forcing of the gate is missing, and the wife's appeal on the balcony to the sailors must surely have lasted more than one second), enough remains to give a good account of what the original audience must have seen."
ReferencesEdit
^"Attack on a China Mission - Bluejackets to the Rescue (1900)". BFI. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^Brooke, Michael. "Attack on a China Mission". BFI Screenonline Database. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
attack, china, mission, 1900, british, short, silent, drama, film, directed, james, williamson, showing, some, sailors, coming, rescue, wife, missionary, killed, boxers, four, shot, film, according, michael, brooke, screenonline, innovative, content, technique. Attack on a China Mission is a 1900 British short silent drama film directed by James Williamson showing some sailors coming to the rescue of the wife of a missionary killed by Boxers 1 The four shot film according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline was innovative in content and technique It incorporated a reverse angle cut and at least two dozen performers whereas most dramatic films of the era consisted of single figure casts and very few shots Film historian John Barnes claims Attack on a China Mission had the most fully developed narrative of any English film up to that time 2 Attack on a China MissionScreenshot from the filmDirected byJames WilliamsonProduced byJames WilliamsonStarringMr JamesMr LepardFlorence WilliamsonCinematographyJames WilliamsonProductioncompanyWilliamson Kinematograph CompanyRelease date17 November 1900 1900 11 17 Running time1 min 25 secsCountryUnited KingdomLanguageSilent Contents 1 Production 2 Premiere 3 Preservation 4 References 5 External linksProduction EditThe director inspired by Georges Melies influential eleven scene dramatised documentary L Affaire Dreyfus 1899 made the film to meet a perceived public demand for footage of the Boxer Rebellion which began in the early months of 1900 at a derelict house called Ivy Lodge in Hove where according to Michael Brooke he went to considerable lengths to ensure that his film appeared to be authentic kitting out the house with a bilingual Anglo Chinese Mission Station sign and drawing on his background as a chemist in order to fake gunshots and explosions Premiere EditThe film was premiered at Hove Town Hall on 17 November 1900 1900 11 17 where according to Michael Brooke it was such a success that the audience fruitlessly demanded a repeat screening there and then Preservation EditJust under half of the original 230 feet of footage survives but according to Michael Brooke it includes material from all four shots and despite some obvious trims the initial forcing of the gate is missing and the wife s appeal on the balcony to the sailors must surely have lasted more than one second enough remains to give a good account of what the original audience must have seen References Edit Attack on a China Mission Bluejackets to the Rescue 1900 BFI Retrieved 7 August 2020 Brooke Michael Attack on a China Mission BFI Screenonline Database Retrieved 24 April 2011 External links EditAttack on a China Mission at IMDb Attack on a China Mission on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Attack on a China Mission amp oldid 1163882258, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
