The Zulu's Heart
Plot
In this early D.W. Griffith action short, a Boer woman and her young daughter find themselves captured by Zulu warriors during the colonial conflicts in South Africa. The woman's husband, a Boer soldier, returns home to discover his family missing and immediately sets out on a desperate rescue mission. Through a series of dramatic encounters and narrow escapes, the father tracks the Zulu war party through treacherous terrain. The film builds to a climactic confrontation where the Boer father must use his wits and courage to save his family from captivity. The narrative concludes with the family's reunion and their escape from the pursuing warriors, highlighting themes of colonial heroism and family devotion.
About the Production
This film was shot in just one or two days, typical of Biograph's rapid production schedule. The Zulu warriors were portrayed by white actors in blackface, a common but problematic practice of the era. The outdoor scenes were filmed on location in New Jersey, where Biograph had established facilities to take advantage of natural lighting. The film was shot on 35mm film with Biograph's proprietary camera system, which used an unusual 68mm film format before being cropped to standard 35mm for release.
Historical Background
This film was produced in 1908, a pivotal year in early cinema history. The film industry was still in its infancy, with most movies being short, simple narratives designed to entertain working-class audiences in nickelodeons. D.W. Griffith was just beginning his revolutionary career at Biograph, where he would eventually develop many of the fundamental techniques of cinematic storytelling. The film's subject matter reflects contemporary American interest in colonial conflicts, particularly the recently concluded Second Boer War (1899-1902). This period also saw the rise of film as a legitimate art form and entertainment medium, moving away from novelty status toward narrative storytelling. The representation of African characters by white actors in blackface was unfortunately standard practice at the time, reflecting the pervasive racism of early 20th century American society. The film was created before the establishment of Hollywood as the center of American film production, with most studios still based in the New York/New Jersey area. 1908 was also the year before Griffith would begin experimenting with more advanced techniques like cross-cutting and close-ups that would eventually define his cinematic style.
Why This Film Matters
While not considered one of Griffith's major works, 'The Zulu's Heart' is significant as an example of early American narrative cinema and the development of action filmmaking. The film represents the types of stories that appealed to early 20th century audiences, combining exotic settings with familiar themes of family and heroism. It's part of the body of work that helped establish the western and colonial adventure genres in American cinema. The film also illustrates the problematic racial representations that were common in early Hollywood, contributing to the discussion about how cinema has historically portrayed non-white cultures. As one of Florence Lawrence's early appearances, it's part of the foundation of her career as cinema's first movie star, which would help establish the concept of celebrity in film. The work is also significant for understanding D.W. Griffith's artistic development, showing his early approach to action and narrative before he developed the more sophisticated techniques that would make him famous. The film contributes to our understanding of how American cinema processed and represented colonial conflicts and racial dynamics during the early 20th century.
Making Of
The production of 'The Zulu's Heart' took place during a remarkably prolific period in D.W. Griffith's early career. Griffith had joined Biograph in 1908 and was quickly churning out multiple short films per week. The studio operated on an assembly-line system where films were shot quickly and efficiently. For this particular production, the cast and crew would have worked long hours to complete filming in just a day or two. The outdoor sequences presented challenges in terms of weather and lighting, as Biograph had not yet invested in artificial lighting equipment. The makeup and costuming for the Zulu characters was rudimentary by modern standards, reflecting both the limited resources and the casual racism of the era. Florence Lawrence, who would later become cinema's first major star, was still a relatively unknown actress at this time, working steadily but not yet commanding the attention she would soon receive. The film's action sequences required careful choreography despite the limited camera mobility of the period, with Griffith already showing an interest in creating dynamic visual storytelling within the technical constraints of early cinema.
Visual Style
The cinematography of 'The Zulu's Heart' reflects the technical limitations and conventions of 1908 filmmaking. The film was shot using the Biograph camera, which was relatively large and immobile, limiting camera movement to basic pans and tilts. The cinematographer, likely Billy Bitzer or another Biograph regular, would have relied exclusively on natural light for the outdoor scenes, as artificial lighting was not yet commonly used in film production. The camera was typically positioned at a fixed distance from the action, resulting in the long shots that were standard for the period. The film stock used would have been orthochromatic, which was less sensitive to red light and created a distinctive visual quality. The framing would have been composed to capture the full action within the frame, as editing techniques were still relatively simple. The outdoor locations in New Jersey provided naturalistic settings that contrasted with the studio-bound productions of some other companies. The cinematography prioritized clarity of action over artistic expression, as the primary goal was to ensure audiences could follow the narrative despite the technical limitations of the era.
Innovations
While 'The Zulu's Heart' does not represent major technical innovations, it does reflect the state of filmmaking technology in 1908. The film was produced using Biograph's proprietary film format, which initially used 68mm film before being adapted to the industry-standard 35mm. The camera equipment, though primitive by modern standards, represented cutting-edge technology for its time. The film demonstrates the early use of continuity editing to maintain narrative coherence across different scenes and locations. The action sequences, while simple, show an understanding of how to stage and film dynamic movement within the technical constraints of the period. The outdoor filming in natural light represents an early approach to location shooting that would become increasingly important as cinema developed. The film's survival as a historical document is itself a technical achievement, as many films from this period have been lost due to the unstable nature of early film stock. The production also reflects the increasingly efficient studio system that Biograph had developed, allowing for the rapid production of narrative shorts on a regular schedule.
Music
As a silent film, 'The Zulu's Heart' had no synchronized soundtrack. However, it would have been accompanied by live music during its exhibition in nickelodeons. The typical accompaniment might have included a pianist or small ensemble playing popular songs of the era, classical pieces, or improvised music that matched the on-screen action. For dramatic moments like the capture scenes, the music would have been tense and dramatic, while the rescue sequences might have been accompanied by more heroic and upbeat selections. The music would have been chosen by the individual theater or the accompanying musician, as there were no standardized scores for films of this period. Some theaters might have used mechanical music devices like player pianos or photoplayers. The musical accompaniment was crucial for enhancing the emotional impact of the silent images and helping to guide audience reactions to the narrative. The lack of synchronized sound meant that the storytelling relied entirely on visual elements and the musical interpretation of the accompanist.
Famous Quotes
No recorded dialogue exists as this is a silent film with no intertitles documented
Memorable Scenes
- The opening scene showing the peaceful Boer family before the Zulu attack
- The dramatic capture sequence where the Zulu warriors seize the mother and daughter
- The father's discovery of the abandoned homestead and his realization of what has occurred
- The climactic confrontation between the Boer father and the Zulu warriors
- The final escape sequence with the family fleeing from their pursuers
Did You Know?
- This was one of D.W. Griffith's earliest directorial efforts, made when he was still learning the craft of filmmaking at Biograph
- Florence Lawrence, who plays the Boer woman, would later become known as 'The First Movie Star' though she was not yet famous when this film was made
- The film was part of Biograph's strategy to produce action-oriented shorts that would appeal to working-class audiences
- Charles Inslee, who plays the Boer father, was a regular collaborator with Griffith during his Biograph period
- The film's depiction of Zulu warriors reflects the colonial attitudes and racial stereotypes prevalent in early 20th century America
- This short was likely distributed as part of a mixed program with other one-reel films, which was the standard exhibition format of the time
- The film was produced before Griffith developed his more sophisticated cross-cutting techniques that would later revolutionize cinema
- Gladys Egan, who plays the daughter, was one of the first professional child actors in American cinema
- The film's title suggests a focus on the Zulu perspective, but the narrative actually centers on the white protagonists
- This film was made during the same period that Griffith was directing dozens of other shorts, sometimes completing multiple films in a single week
What Critics Said
Contemporary critical reception for 'The Zulu's Heart' is largely undocumented, as film criticism was not yet established as a profession in 1908. Trade publications like The Moving Picture World might have mentioned it briefly, but detailed reviews were not the norm for short films of this period. Modern film historians and critics generally view the film as a minor work in Griffith's oeuvre, significant primarily for its historical value rather than its artistic merits. The film is often discussed in the context of Griffith's early development and the evolution of cinematic storytelling techniques. Contemporary scholars typically analyze the film through lenses of racial representation and colonial ideology, noting how it reflects the problematic attitudes of its time. The action sequences, while rudimentary by modern standards, are sometimes noted as showing Griffith's early interest in creating dynamic visual narratives. Most modern assessments acknowledge the film primarily as a historical artifact that helps illustrate the state of American cinema in 1908 and the early development of one of its most influential directors.
What Audiences Thought
Audience reception data for 'The Zulu's Heart' is not available in any systematic form, as audience research was not conducted for films during this period. However, we can infer from the programming practices of nickelodeons that action-oriented shorts like this one were popular with working-class audiences of the time. The exotic setting and dramatic rescue story would have provided the escapist entertainment that early film audiences sought. The fact that Biograph continued to produce similar films suggests they were commercially successful enough to justify their production costs. The presence of familiar actors like Charles Inslee and Florence Lawrence, though not yet stars, would have provided some continuity for regular filmgoers. The film's action elements and clear moral narrative would have been easily understood by the diverse immigrant audiences who frequented early nickelodeons. While we cannot determine specific audience reactions, the survival of the film in historical records suggests it was considered noteworthy enough to preserve documentation about its production and content.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Stage melodramas of the late 19th century
- Contemporary newspaper accounts of colonial conflicts
- Popular adventure literature
- Earlier Biograph action shorts
- Theatrical traditions of racial representation
This Film Influenced
- Later Griffith colonial-themed shorts
- Early Hollywood adventure films
- Subsequent rescue narrative films
- Early cinema depictions of African conflicts
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Film Restoration
The preservation status of 'The Zulu's Heart' is uncertain. Many Biograph films from this period have survived, but some exist only in fragmentary form. The film may be held in film archives such as the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art, or the British Film Institute, though it is not among the most well-documented surviving Griffith shorts. The original nitrate film stock would have been highly unstable and prone to deterioration. If the film has survived, it likely exists as a preservation copy on more stable film stock or in digital format. Some early Biograph films were rediscovered and preserved in the mid-20th century, but documentation of this particular title's survival status is limited. The film's relative obscurity compared to Griffith's more famous works suggests it may not have received priority in early preservation efforts.