简介：ThoughJamesWilliamsonhadalreadymadeatleast122one-shotfilmssince1897(mostlycomediessuchasWashingtheSweeporactualitieslikeEarlyFashionsonBrightonPier,both1898,AttackonaChinaMission-BluejacketstotheRescue(1900)wasaquantumleapforwardinstyle,content,techniqueandambition. InTheBeginningsoftheCinemainEngland,historianJohnBarnesclaimsithad"themostfullydevelopednarrativeofanyfilmmadeinEnglanduptothattime".Whilemostdramaticfilmsoftheeraconsistedofoneortwoshotsandsingle-figurecasts,Williamson'sfilmhadfourshots(includingareverseanglecut,showingtheentrancetothemissionfromtwodifferentperspectives)andatleasttwodozenperformers. ItwasbasedontheBoxerRebellionoftheearlymonthsof1900,withthesecret'Boxer'societyattemptingtoexpelofforeignersingeneralandChristianmissionariesinparticularfromtheirnativeChina.WilliamsonwasfollowinginthefootstepsofGeorgesMéliès,whoseeleven-scenedramatiseddocumentaryL'AffaireDreyfus(1899)wasveryinfluentialonBritishfilm-makers,manyofwhommadesimilardramatisationsoftheeventsoftheongoingBoerWar.ButWilliamson'sfilmcomfortablyoutstrippedtheminscaleandambition. ThoughtheWarwickTradingCompanyhaddistributedmovingimagesofChinathatsameyear,therewasnoactualfootageoftheBoxerRebellion.Inordertomeetperceivedpublicdemand,WilliamsonmadehisfilminHoveataderelicthousecalledIvyLodge(whichwouldalsobethemainlocationforFire!,1901).Hewenttoconsiderablelengthstoensurethathisfilmappearedtobeauthentic,kittingoutthehousewithabilingualAnglo-Chinese'MissionStation'signanddrawingonhisbackgroundasachemistinordertofakegunshotsandexplosions. Thefullfilmran230feet,orroughlyfourminutesatcontemporaryprojectionspeeds.Justunderhalfofthisfootagesurvives,thoughthankfullyitincludesmaterialfromallfourshots.Despitesomeobvioustrims(theinitialforcingofthegateismissing,andthewife'sappealonthebalconytothesailorsmustsurelyhavelastedmorethanonesecond),enoughremainstogiveagoodaccountofwhattheoriginalaudiencemusthaveseen. Thepremierewasheldon17November1900atHoveTownHall,andwassuchasuccessthattheaudience(fruitlessly)demandedarepeatscreeningthereandthen.…