For its time, this re-enactment of a small battle from the Boer War is realistic-looking and full of action. It's probably no longer possible to determine how accurate it may have been in comparison with any actual incident, but the action is staged rather well, and there is plenty of detail that makes it feel almost as if you were watching a real battle. And while it is filmed largely from the Boer perspective, it treats both sides with some respect.
The story starts with an assault by Scots Highlanders on an artillery position held by the Boers. The defenders are pictured as the kind of rag-tag group that usually gains audience sympathy, and the camera films the action from the Boer position, yet it also depicts the Highlanders as a courageous group that keeps coming even against heavy fire.
Not long before this, the Edison Company had filmed and staged scenes from the war between the USA and Spain, and no doubt that experience helped in staging this feature. The technique is far from perfect - for example, at one point a horse completely blocks the camera for a couple of seconds - but overall it does a decent job of portraying a chaotic scene.
The story starts with an assault by Scots Highlanders on an artillery position held by the Boers. The defenders are pictured as the kind of rag-tag group that usually gains audience sympathy, and the camera films the action from the Boer position, yet it also depicts the Highlanders as a courageous group that keeps coming even against heavy fire.
Not long before this, the Edison Company had filmed and staged scenes from the war between the USA and Spain, and no doubt that experience helped in staging this feature. The technique is far from perfect - for example, at one point a horse completely blocks the camera for a couple of seconds - but overall it does a decent job of portraying a chaotic scene.