The Bush Cinderella

Plot

The Bush Cinderella follows the story of a young woman who has spent her formative years growing up in the rural countryside of New Zealand. When her wealthy grandfather passes away, she unexpectedly inherits his substantial estate, thrusting her into a world of wealth and sophistication she has never known. However, her grandfather's unscrupulous servant sees an opportunity to defraud the naive young woman of her inheritance through various schemes and deception. The servant's plans are continually thwarted by the combined efforts of the grandfather's loyal lawyer, who protects the girl's legal interests, and her friend, a naval lieutenant who becomes her romantic interest and protector. The film culminates in a classic good-versus-evil confrontation where justice prevails and love triumphs.

Historical Background

The Bush Cinderella was produced in 1928, a pivotal year in cinema history as the transition from silent films to 'talkies' was underway globally. New Zealand's film industry was still in its infancy, with few local productions being made. The country was primarily a consumer of American and British films, with local filmmakers like Rudall Hayward working to create content that reflected New Zealand culture and settings. This period saw growing interest in developing a national cinema, though resources and infrastructure were limited. The late 1920s also represented a time of social change in New Zealand, with urbanization beginning to transform the traditionally rural society, a theme that may resonate in the film's country-to-city narrative arc.

Making Of

The Bush Cinderella was created during a formative period for New Zealand's film industry, when local filmmakers were beginning to establish a national cinematic identity. Director Rudall Hayward was working with limited resources compared to Hollywood productions, relying on local talent and New Zealand's natural landscapes as backdrops. The casting of Dale Austen, Mae Bain, and Allan Cornish reflects the pool of available actors in New Zealand's small film community of the 1920s. Silent film production required actors to convey emotions and story through exaggerated facial expressions and body language, as intertitles provided the dialogue. The film's creation would have involved meticulous planning for location shooting in New Zealand's sometimes challenging weather conditions and terrain.

Visual Style

As a silent film from 1928, The Bush Cinderella would have utilized the cinematographic techniques of the era, likely filmed in black and white using standard 35mm film stock. The cinematography would have emphasized visual storytelling through composition, lighting, and camera movement to convey emotion and narrative without dialogue. Given the film's title and plot, the cinematography probably contrasted the natural beauty of New Zealand's bush country with more formal interior scenes representing the inherited estate. The camera work would have been relatively static compared to modern films, with occasional tracking shots or pans to follow action, typical of late silent era techniques.

Innovations

The Bush Cinderella does not appear to have introduced any significant technical innovations, which was typical for regional productions of the era. The film would have utilized standard silent film technology of the late 1920s, including hand-cranked cameras, natural lighting where possible, and basic editing techniques. The technical challenges would have related more to the conditions of filming in New Zealand's remote locations rather than pushing cinematic boundaries. The film represents competent application of existing technology rather than technical advancement, which was realistic given the limited resources available to New Zealand filmmakers in the 1920s.

Music

As a silent film, The Bush Cinderella would not have had a synchronized soundtrack as we know it today. Instead, it would have been accompanied by live musical performance in theaters, typically a pianist or small orchestra who would play appropriate music to match the mood of each scene. The musical selections would have been drawn from classical pieces, popular songs of the era, or standard silent film repertoire. The tempo and style of music would change to reflect the emotional tone of different scenes - romantic themes for the love story, tense music during the servant's schemes, and triumphant music for the resolution. No original composed score for the film exists in documentation.

Memorable Scenes

• The revelation of the young woman's inheritance
• Confrontation scenes between the heroine and the fraudulent servant
• Romantic moments between the heroine and the naval lieutenant
• The final resolution where justice prevails and the servant's schemes are exposed

What Critics Said

Due to the age of The Bush Cinderella and the limited documentation of New Zealand film criticism from the 1920s, specific contemporary critical reception is difficult to ascertain. Newspapers of the period may have reviewed the film, but such records are not readily accessible. Like many early New Zealand productions, it likely received modest attention compared to imported American and British films. Modern film historians view the film primarily as an important artifact of New Zealand's early cinema history, valuable for what it represents about the country's film development rather than for its artistic merits, which cannot be fully assessed without access to the film itself.

What Audiences Thought

Information about audience reception to The Bush Cinderella in 1928 is not well-documented, as was common for many early New Zealand films. The film likely had limited distribution, primarily within New Zealand, and may have been shown in local theaters alongside more prominent international productions. New Zealand audiences of the 1920s were accustomed to viewing mainly American and British films, so a local production would have been a novelty. The familiar Cinderella story structure, combined with local New Zealand settings, may have appealed to domestic audiences seeking stories that reflected their own country and culture.

You Might Also Like