Robert Paul, a pioneer of British film as both inventor and then entrepreneur, produced a wide variety of films during the Boer War. Ian Christie argues that ‘a cursory examination of Paul’s catalogues shows that he produced at least five distinct kinds of film, all responding to different opportunities and needs as the war developed’. These included actuality material, dockside departures and arrivals, ‘reproductions of incidents’, multi-part documentary series – the most famous of which was Army Life – and finally what Christie refers to as ‘allegorical and sentimental pieces that offered opportunities for emotional engagement with the war and its consequences’ (Christie, 2007, 86-88). Kruger’s Dream of Empire, a live action political cartoon, fits within this final category.

The Optical Magical Lantern Journal described Kruger’s Dream of Empireas ‘one of the latest fakes’, further stating that ‘those who have had much experience in connection with taking pictures on cinematograph films, know that it is by no means a difficult task to produce the most absurd, yet realistic looking effects by means of judicious stops, rejoining and other devices’ (Optical Magic Lantern Journal, June 1900, 70). The film was advertised as a ‘Grand Patriotic Trick Film Tableau’ and, while stylistically the film embraced many techniques of early film, these trick sequences served not only as attractions but also to deliver the film’s patriotic message. Early film historian Simon Popple compared Kruger’s Dream of Empire with Warwick Trading Company’s The Set-to Between John Bull and Paul Kruger (1900), suggesting that ‘both use humour and technical devices to develop an imperial polemic’. Popple argued though that ‘Paul’s trick film is far more complex and indicative of the combination or pure entertainment and polemic evident in other contexts, especially the music hall and fairground’ (Popple, 2002, 20).

An advertisement for the film, with an extensive synopsis, appeared in The Era on 19 May 1900. The advertisement concluded that ‘the film is exceptionally clear and brilliant and strongly recommended as a final picture in a series of war subjects’ (The Era, 19 May 1900). Subsequent advertisements appeared weekly until the end of June claiming that the film – which was available for 50/- – ‘has proved a tremendous success wherever shown’ (The Era, 26 May 1900). The film played throughout the United Kingdom appearing, for example, at the Empire Theatre in Swansea from the end of May, along with The Ladysmith Heroes Marching through London as part of the ‘splendid new war pictures on the bioscope’ (Western Mail, 29 May 1900). A notice for the Gaiety Theatre in Nottingham at the beginning of June reported that ‘the American Biogram is this week showing a speciality in war pictures, entitled “Kruger’s Dream of Empire”, which provides an outlet for patriotic sentiment’ (The Era, 2 June 1900).

The film was also screened overseas: in New Zealand it played at the Exchange Hall as part of ‘Cooper and McDermott’s Patriotic Pictorial Concert’ from the end of May 1901 (Evening Post, 27 May 1901, 6.). A further report in the Evening Poststated that ‘The British and Colonial Bioscope Company gave an entertainment in St John’s Schoolroom last night under the auspices of the Mount Cook Boys’ School’ at which ‘a picture of a paperchase and another entitled “Kruger’s Dream Of Empire” were especially popular with the youthful audience, who voted the show a huge success’ (New Zealand Free Lance, 1 June 1901, 7). 

Paul Kruger – who was often known as Oom Paul (meaning Uncle Paul in Afrikaans) – had led the revolt of the Afrikaners in the Transvaal in December 1880, after the British had annexed the Transvaal and sought to create a federation of South African colonies. The film’s initial placard “On Majuba Day England Was Defeated” refers to the British defeat at the battle of Majuba on 27th February 1881, which brought about the end of the first Boer War and led to a short-lived peace. During the second Boer War ‘Remember Majuba!’ became a rallying call for the British and when the Boer General Piet Cronje surrendered to the British at Paardeberg Drift on the anniversary of the battle of Majuba in 1900, the significance of the date was widely noted. An editorial in The Timesexplained that ‘Lord Roberts draws attention in his first message to the coincidence that this great success of the British arms has been achieved on the anniversary of the mishap at Majuba, the political results of which have cost the Empire so dear’. The editorial added though that ‘the Commander in Chief, we may be sure had no desire to exult over a gallant foe by noting this circumstance, nor will any such desire, we are confident, be felt either in the British army or by the British people’ (The Times, 28 February 1900, 9).