中国教会被袭记  袭击中国使节团,在华教会被袭记

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.