Does the hero make history or does history make the hero? This question, which N.P. van Wyk Louw posed in his 1962 radio drama, Die Held, is of utmost importance to this thesis. In Van Kavalier tot Verraaier Zombie tot Lego-man, the researcher investigates the myths and ideological presentation of the hero in selected case studies of Anglo-Boer War films and drama series, and she attempts to unmask the relevant writer or director s goal in the creation of his or her specific hero archetype.
The researcher emphasises in her analysis how the Boer soldier, one of the prominent figures of the white Afrikaner history, has been transformed into a mythical hero during the past century. This archetype has belonged to the nation for quite some time and has been portrayed in such a way, especially in popular culture such as music, theatre productions and films, that certain beliefs among audiences about the Afrikaner history are emphasised. It is important to point out that this thesis provides only an overview of selective case studies, since it would take several doctoral theses to fully examine all the films, short films and drama series that have already been made about the Anglo-Boer War.
The hero archetype in case studies of Anglo-Boer War film and drama series is examined within the theoretical framework of narrative, myths, ideology and identity construction. Joseph Campbell s and Carl Gustav Jung s theories on, and especially Christopher Vogler s description of, the hero archetype, as encompassed in the screenplay structure of the Hero s Journey, are some of the most important theories on which this study is based. It is not only the willing hero archetype that is highlighted, but also the anti-hero, the tragic hero, and the role of other archetypes in the plot of a chosen script.
The main question the researcher often attempts to answer in her conclusion of a chapter, is: What is the meaning of the representation of heroic soldiers that are so often represented in Anglo-Boer War films and series? During the interviews that the researcher conducted with some of the directors, she discovered that many contemporary directors believe that a myth had been created around the Boer hero, and that the directors tend to identify more strongly with a character from a fairy tale (like a zombie), than with a real historical figure. And yet, judging from the reception of several films and drama series which attempted to redefine this myth, it seems that the majority of white, Afrikaans audiences still hold onto the mythical Boer hero, because this reminds them of their era of innocence , the time when they were willing heroes who fought for a righteous cause, before they became the villains of Apartheid .
Maak die held die geskiedenis of maak geskiedenis die held? Hierdie vraag wat N.P. van Wyk Louw in sy 1962-radiodrama, Die Held, gevra het, is van kardinale belang vir hierdie proefskrif. In Van Kavalier tot Verraaier Zombie tot Lego-man ondersoek die navorser die mites en ideologiese uitbeelding van die held in geselekteerde Anglo-Boereoorlog-rolprente en -dramareeks-gevallestudies, en poog sy om die betrokke skrywer/regisseur se doelwit met die skep van die spesifieke heldfiguur te ontmasker.
Die navorser lê in haar ontleding klem op hoe een van die kernfigure uit die wit Afrikanergeskiedenis, die Boerekryger, in die laaste eeu in n mitiese held omskep is. Hierdie argetipe is reeds n geruime tyd lank volksbesit en is veral in populêre kultuur soos musiek, verhoogstukke en rolprente op só n wyse uitgebeeld om sekere mites en ideologiese beskouings rondom die Afrikanergeskiedenis verder by gehore in te skerp. Dit is belangrik om te beklemtoon dat die proefskrif slegs n oorsig gee van selektiewe gevallestudies, aangesien dit verskeie doktorale proefskrifte sal neem om al die rolprente, kort flieks en dramareekse wat reeds oor die Anglo-Boereoorlog-tydperk gemaak is, volledig te ondersoek.
Die held-argetipe in Anglo-Boereoorlog-rolprent- en -dramareeks-gevallestudies word binne die teoretiese raamwerk van die narratief, mites, ideologie en identiteitskepping verken. Joseph Campbell en Carl Gustav Jung se teorieë oor, en veral Christopher Vogler se beskrywing van, die held-argetipe, soos in die Heldereis-struktuur omvat, is van die kernteorieë waarin hierdie studie gegrond is. Dit is nie net die gewillige held-argetipe wat aan bod kom nie, maar ook die anti-held, die tragiese held, en die rol van ander argetipes in die plot van n gekose draaiboek.
Die kernvraag wat die navorser telkens poog om in haar slotsom van n hoofstuk te beantwoord, is: Wat is die betekenis van die uitbeelding van die dapper kryger wat so dikwels in Anglo-Boereoorlog-rolprente en -reekse voorgestel word? Tydens die onderhoude wat die navorser met sekere van die regisseurs gevoer het, het sy ontdek dat heelwat van die kontemporêre regisseurs glo dat daar só n mite rondom dié Boereheld geskep is, en dat die regisseurs hulself meer met n karakter uit n sprokie (soos n zombie) kan vereenselwig, as met n werklike historiese figuur.
En tog blyk dit uit die ontvangs van die onderskeie rolprente en dramareekse wat gepoog het om hierdie mite te herdefinieer, dat die meerderheid van die wit Afrikaanse gehore steeds teruggryp na die mitiese Boereheld, omdat dit hulle aan hulle era van onskuld herinner, dié tyd toe hulle gewillige helde was wat geveg het vir n regverdige saak, voordat hulle die skurke van Apartheid geword het.
