Buffalo Dance

As one of several features that the Edison Company made of performers from the Buffalo Bill Wild West exhibition, this was probably interesting to its original viewers as a chance to see a more or less authentic 'Indian dance'. As is often the case with the earliest movies, it's of interest now mainly for other reasons.

Like the companion feature "Sioux Ghost Dance" made at the same time, this movie shows several Sioux performing one of their rituals for the camera. This "Buffalo Dance" differs slightly in having only three dancers, while two others accompany them with drums.

What stands out in this one is the unfeigned interest in the camera that the dancers show, frequently staring right at it. It certainly doesn't seem to fit in with the dance itself, and it looks like an unintended but honest reaction to being filmed - which was just as novel an experience for these Sioux as it would have been for anyone else at the time.

These frequent stares at the camera, plus the somewhat artificial background of Edison's 'Black Maria' studio, make it hard to determine to what degree the movie portrays the dance as it would have been done on its own. But it does give this little feature a point of interest.

In the year of 1972, former soldier and frontiersman "Buffalo" Bill Cody decided to enter show business by creating a traveling company dedicated to perform little plays based on his very own adventures while living in the wild west. 11 years later, in 1883, what started as a little company would become the "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show, an enormous spectacle conceived as a Western-themed circus where Buffalo Bill and company would perform many stunts or shows and bring the experience of the Wild West to the East. Soon Buffalo Bill's show became the most popular attraction of the 19th Century and so, in 1894, members of his show were invited to Thomas Alva Edison's "Black Maria" in order to participate in the making of Kinetoscope films about the show. The legendary "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" show was now part of cinema history.

"Buffalo Dance" is one of several movies done by members of Buffalo Bill's show in those days. What makes this one stand out is that its one of the two (along "Sioux Ghost Dance") done about the Native Americans of the show, as the shooting of the two films (on September 24, 1894) represents the first time Native Americans appeared on film. As the title implies, this movie shows three Sioux Indians performing the "Buffalo Dance", while two others appear in the background playing the music with their drums. The Buffalo dance seems to be more ancient than the ritual Ghost Dance, and this movie captures it in a very good and detailed way, making it an invaluable source about Native Americans in that period (it also helps that the footage has survived in pretty good condition).

As it has been pointed out many times by critics and historians, it's pretty interesting how the dancers instinctively stare at the camera, truly surprised by it and probably wondering about the point of performing the dance in front of a device like that (film camera's wouldn't become common until 1895). Unlike "Sioux Ghost Dance", this movie captures the dance in a better way than the other movie, in part because the number of dancers is considerably minor, but also because director William K.L. Dickson (inventor of the Kinetoscope) makes a better use of his camera to capture the event. According to the noted on Edison's catalog, the dancers were known as Hair Coat, Parts His Hair and Last Horse; those were the names of the very first Sioux in the history of cinema. 6/10

This Edison short got filmed on the same day as "Sioux Ghost Dance", though I have the feeling that that short was the more interesting one. Not just because it was the first (or was it? Guess we can only assume so) but also because of the way how the scene got set up.

Thing I didn't liked too much about this short was that it cut right in into the action and the natives are right in the middle of their dance already when the camera gets switched on. The Indians in it also seem to be very aware of the camera, as they are constantly looking up, right into it. The whole movie just because of that doesn't feel very natural or interesting.

They again used some real native, that were part of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Unlike "Sioux Ghost Dance", the names of the performers are actually known by their native names Last Horse, Parts His Hair and Hair Coat. Guess all the cool names already were taken when they were born.

Not that interesting and also not as renewing or well set up, especially when you compare it to "Sioux Ghost Dance".

5/10

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Another clip from the shots taken on September 24th 1894 in Edison's Black Maria studio with William Heise behind the camera. This 15 second (20 fps) clip features the three named Native American dancers (from Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show) plus three drummers. It is interesting to note that the three dancers are particulary aware of the camera and appear to act to it on occasion, although this may be merely a feature of the Buffalo dance itself or quite possibly under receipt of direction from Movies first ever acting coach/director behind the camera.

Buffalo Dance (1894)

*** (out of 4)

Another interesting piece of history, this Edison short runs just fifteen-seconds but it's very entertaining. We see three Indians doing a "buffalo dance", which was a ritual they'd do as part of the "Buffalo Bill Wild West Show". I'm sure fans back in the day got a great kick (and laughter) out of seeing this but the movie remains interesting today just as a part of history. It's great seeing an actual show of what people back in the day were watching and with that in mind, this is the main reason why I love watching these older films. Those expecting some ground breaking action will be disappointed but silent film buffs will be entertained.