"Simba," which actually contains two subtitles, "King of the Beasts" and "A Saga of the African Veldt" is no mere nature documentary. It readily reminds one how recent the Scramble for Africa, the colonization of the continent by European powers, was when it was made. A map of the territory that the Martin and Osa Johnson and company transverse outlines countries that no longer exist and have since become independent. Africans and tribes are described as "half civilized," "savage" and by jokes involving "black" or "dark." Men the filmmakers employ are ridiculed in the title cards as, "the best of the boys were trained to be 'assistant camera men,'" while other Africans are subjected to the camera's imperialist gaze. This is a reflection of a prevalent racist ideology that colonized a continent and much of the rest of the world. The film's paradigm of the lion as the king of the beasts is but an extension of a belief in white supremacy among people. Consequently, too, this depiction of a bountiful and diverse animal kingdom in African has since largely been encroached upon. For all this, "Simba" is a fascinating time capsule and narrative construction of a documentary, or docudrama, in addition to images of exotic animals and cultures.
Allegedly, some or much of footage is staged or edited together in a misleading way, and I don't doubt that was the case. Most early or proto-documentaries made before the likes of John Grierson even coined "documentary" were such--"Nanook of the North" (1922), "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness" (1927) and the like. So early in film history was this film that its crew included one of America's first film historians, Terry Ramsaye, who had just published "A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture," a book, by the way, that while valuable as an early history is severely flawed and promoted the great-man myth of Thomas Edison as cinema's primary inventor. Just remember in regards to veracity that's the same guy credited with co-editing and titling on "Simba."
In their day, these films may've been seen as feature travelogues and ethnographic records, but many elements of the what would be ascribed to documentary are here. There's the voice-of-god narration in the title cards framing the juxtaposition of images we see, and the drama of the danger the filmmakers faced is constantly ballyhooed, as they shoot through an elephant and rhino supposedly in self-defence before the inevitable slaughter of lions--demonstrating, I suppose, who the real apex predators are. Besides the expository mode of documentary, the filmmakers are thoroughly a part of the proceedings in the participatory mode. There are also many shots of the cameras and filmmakers in action to also make it reflexive. To top it off, George Eastman, whose company provided most of the actual film for films back then, is spotted in one scene taking part in his own safari. Of course, he brought his Kodak camera.
Allegedly, some or much of footage is staged or edited together in a misleading way, and I don't doubt that was the case. Most early or proto-documentaries made before the likes of John Grierson even coined "documentary" were such--"Nanook of the North" (1922), "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness" (1927) and the like. So early in film history was this film that its crew included one of America's first film historians, Terry Ramsaye, who had just published "A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture," a book, by the way, that while valuable as an early history is severely flawed and promoted the great-man myth of Thomas Edison as cinema's primary inventor. Just remember in regards to veracity that's the same guy credited with co-editing and titling on "Simba."
In their day, these films may've been seen as feature travelogues and ethnographic records, but many elements of the what would be ascribed to documentary are here. There's the voice-of-god narration in the title cards framing the juxtaposition of images we see, and the drama of the danger the filmmakers faced is constantly ballyhooed, as they shoot through an elephant and rhino supposedly in self-defence before the inevitable slaughter of lions--demonstrating, I suppose, who the real apex predators are. Besides the expository mode of documentary, the filmmakers are thoroughly a part of the proceedings in the participatory mode. There are also many shots of the cameras and filmmakers in action to also make it reflexive. To top it off, George Eastman, whose company provided most of the actual film for films back then, is spotted in one scene taking part in his own safari. Of course, he brought his Kodak camera.
