| Symbol of Sacrifice | |
|---|---|
 Title screen and part of poem from start of film | |
| Directed by | Dick Cruikshanks I.W. Schlesinger (uncredited) Joseph Albrecht (uncredited) |
| Written by | F. Horace Rose I.W. Schlesinger Joseph Albrecht Harold M. Shaw (uncredited) |
| Based on | The 1879 Anglo-Zulu War |
| Starring | Jack Montgomery Mabel May |
| Cinematography | Joseph Albrecht |
Production company | African Film Productions |
| Distributed by | P. Davis & Sons |
Release date |
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Running time | Over two hours |
| Country | South Africa |
| Language | Silent film with English title cards |
| Budget | £20,000 |
Symbol of Sacrifice is a 1918 film dramatisation of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. It follows English soldier Preston Fanshall from the British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana to Rorke's Drift where he participates in the successful defence of that post. His love interest, Marie Moxter, is captured by the Zulu during the battle and taken to their capital at Ulundi. Moxter's black servant, Goba, travels to Ulundi and intervenes to protect her from the advances of German villain Carl Schneider who has allied with the Zulu. The film shows the British defeat at the Battle of Hlobane and the arrival of reinforcements, including Napoléon, the French Prince Imperial. The prince becomes a central character for a portion of the film and is shown, in a lavish flashback, meeting Queen Victoria and Empress Eugénie at Windsor Castle. The death of the prince at the hands of the Zulu is shown. A second love triangle involving a Zulu woman, Melissa, with a warrior, Tambookie, and a villainous witchdoctor, is also depicted. The film ends with the British victory at the Battle of Ulundi, ending the war. Goba and Tambookie help Moxter to escape, but Goba is killed in the process and Tambookie enters Moxter's employment.
The film was produced by African Film Productions (AFP), owned by I.W. Schlesinger. It was begun after AFP employee Harold M. Shaw was refused permission by the Rhodesian authorities to shoot a biopic of Cecil Rhodes. Shaw worked with F. Horace Rose to write the screenplay but left the production in September 1917 after falling out with Schlesinger. The screenplay was completed by Rose with assistance from Schlesinger and cinematographer Joseph Albrecht. Filming began in January 1918 with Schlesinger as director; he handed the role to Albrecht and then to Dick Cruikshanks, who received the formal credit. On 10 February 1918 the actor playing the British commander Lord Chelmsford and two other actors were killed on camera while re-enacting a river crossing. The film was rewritten to minimise Chelmsford's screentime. Some 25,000 extras were employed, allowing for wide shot battle scenes.
The film was the first to depict the Anglo-Zulu war and the first to include a witchdoctor. The symbol of the title is the Union Flag which features prominently throughout the film. Symbol of Sacrifice has been praised by modern writers for including black characters in complex roles, which was not usual at the time. At least one contemporary writer criticised the film for showing the Zulu as more than simple savages. Symbol of Sacrifice has also been noted for its themes of British-Boer cooperation, intended by Shaw to promote support for the Allies in the First World War. The film originally ran to more than two hours, over eight film reels, but much of the footage is now lost.