Zulu (1964)

Zulu became so famous that the movie soon descended into parody including that Michael Caine impression: 'Oi, stop chucking those spears at me!' It is noticeable that Caine actually played a posh officer.Zulu is an epic directed by the American Cy Endfield. It is set in 1879 and depicts 4000 Zulu warriors heading for Rorkes Drift in Natal where a small supply post is defended by about 100 British soldiers.The first half of the film consists of showing the various characters from the British side. A barrack room lawyer shirking from battle (James Booth) a by the book pompous posh officer (Michael Caine) and an engineer (Stanley Baker) determined to be tactical and defend this outpost by setting up barricades and getting ready for battle.The second half is the relentless battle scenes as waves and waves of Zulus attack. Although it has to be said, the British soldiers although fewer in numbers have guns, the Zulus being in greater numbers mainly have spears and once they have been thrown, nothing much else.The film might look old fashioned but Stanley Baker was also one of the producers of the film. As a staunch socialist he was determined that this film would not be seen as some kind of jingoistic, colonial boys' own adventure but pay tribute to those mainly Welsh soldiers, eleven of them who were awarded the Victoria Cross. The film stills stands its ground.

This epic adventure is one of the yardsticks of the action-cum-war film genre, offering intense excitement, bloody action, and furious violence and all within a PG certificate too. A perennial favourite of the British television stations, it tells the true story of a British detachment stranded at the outpost of Rorke's Drift in hostile enemy territory, facing an angry army of 4000 Zulu warriors intent on killing all and sundry.The main army has already been slaughtered (an event chronicled in 1979's prequel, ZULU DAWN), so it's down to our stiff-upper-lip British and Welsh heroes – including Michael Caine in his standout, star-making performance as a young, cocky officer, and Stanley Baker as the heroic older rank – to battle against the dreaded foe. The film builds slowly in the first hour, displaying some glorious African locations, before letting rip with full-scale battle and destruction come the second half. Courage, bravery, tragedy, and most of all determination is what this film is all about, and it's a hard one to top.

I felt like I was hit by an Iwisa. This periodic war-film from the 1960's, really did make an impact on me. Directed by Cy Endfield, the movie tells the epic account of the true story of an under-strength British forces defending an isolated African mission at Rorke's Drift against large packs of Zulu warriors, during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Without spoiling the movie, too much, I have to say, the depiction of the Battle of Rorke's Drift was amazing to watch. It's like the British's version of the Western genre. The beautiful landscape of South Africa was used very well. You really get the scale of how large, the Zulu army is and how small, the British forces, by the way, the camera frame, its endless hills and mountains. Yet, the movie doesn't really show or explain, why the Zulus and British were fighting. There was no mention of the British wanting greater control over non-renewable natural resources like Diamonds or how the Zulus felt unjustly treated by the colonial regime. Still, I like how the film doesn't do many cheap tricks to demonize, either one side. The film could had easily, portray the Zulus as killer hordes of savages; seeing how this movie was made, during the height of apartheid, where the rights, associations, and movements of the majority black inhabitants and other ethnic groups were curtailed, and white minority rule was maintained. However, the film doesn't do that. You see the Zulus be willing to allow the missionaries families to escape the battle, as well, punish its own members, for trying to stop them from fleeing. Yet, I wish the movie didn't make it seem like the Zulus were the invaders, when in truth, the British were. In real events, King Cetewayo (Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi) was hoping for negotiated peace with the British after the Battle of Isandlwana. After all, King Cetewayo didn't want to attack Rorke's Drift as it would make him, seem like an aggressor to the British public, as the Drift was nowhere near the borders of Zululand and there was no military value to it. Yet a party of some 4,000 Zulu reserves mounted, such of an attack. However, after King Cetwayo heard about it, the Zulus were forced to retreat after one day of battle, not because of show of respect to British for their bravery. The unauthorized of the attack is one of the true reasons, why the Zulus retreat, along with lack of supplies. It's one of the bigger historic inaccurate that the movie got wrong along with the British death count, which was 17. Another is the battlefield singing contest. While, I dig it, as a powerful scene in the movie, it's not really historical accurate as there were no much event, recorded. Another thing, the song "Men of Harlech" features prominently as the Wales's regimental tune; did not become the official march song until much, much later in the First World War (1914-1918). In the time of the battle, the regimental song was "The Warwickshire Lad". Another thing, while both Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) of the Royal Engineers & Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine), an infantry officer were heroic. In truth, the real hero of Rorke's Drift was Commissary James Dalton (Dennis Folbigge). It was Dalton who persuaded Chard and Bromhead to remain at Rorke's Drift when their first instinct was to abandon the post, and it was Dalton who organized and inspired the defense. Despite that, I think, both actor, Stanley Baker and Michael Caine did great in their roles in the action scenes, even if the real-life Bromhead is supposedly deaf and Chard was a heavy smoker. I also love the down to earth complex relationship between common-man, Chard with that, Brownhead's pompous aristocrat. I like how the film, makes them, likable, even with their questionable decisions. I just wish the writers did the same with Reverend Otto Witt (Jack Hawkins). All of his scenes were a little bit, too annoying. Despite that, I think, Jack Hawkins did great in his acting. The same goes with the rest of the supporting cast like Glynn Edwards and James Booth, even with their somewhat hard to hear, English accents. They did great in showing the anti-war sentiment, while unnecessary fighting in the action scenes. Even the Zulus extras were great in most of the action scenes. I love that majority of them, were largely descendants of the actual warriors who took part in the battle, among them the then chief of the Zulu Nation, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Seeing, none of the Zulus had ever seen a movie, it was difficult for them to understand what they were doing playing to a camera, but somewhat they pull it off. I just wish, some of the hand to hand combat were better. It really didn't look like some of the spears and swords were making skin connect. It's obvious with the fake-looking rubber bayonets that many of the close-combat scenes are done with more regard to safety than realism. The gun fight instead was very intense, not only by sight, but also by sound. I love the rattling of shields; and the thunder of marching feet. It really made the Zulus army, seem so much more powerful than they really were. The stirring music score is by John Barry was also amazing. Yet, the narration by Richard Burton could had done before. I felt like it wasn't really needed, even in the end. It's also just funny, that this movie was originally rated PG, seeing how much blood, and high death toll, it has. Plus, the fact that it has topless tribal dancers. I just glad, the producers didn't censored any of this. It adds to the realistic tone of the film. Overall: Filmed on a grand scale, Zulu is a rousing recreation of real-life events. A must watch for any film fan.

Zulu is in my opinion the best war film ever. A small contingent of British soldiers hold out against a massive Zulu army in 1879. It's a true story and pretty accurate though understandably some liberties were almost certainly taken by the film makers. I have rarely seen another film that doesn't waste a single scene. The pacing is perfect, the battle scenes although not as bloody as modern day epics are well done and it entertains from start to perfect finish. There are so many memorable scenes and characters that this is one film that really does repay repeated viewings. For me though what really elevates this film above most others is the acting. Rarely can any film have encouraged such strong performances from every member of the cast even down to the smallest part. Stanley Baldwin is great, Michael Caine puts in a career best performance, William Booth is charismatic as the wayward Hook but for me the highlight is Nigel Green as Colour Sergeant Bourne the embodiment of an British soldier. Zulu is a triumph of film making from start to finish and I am amazed that such a good film doesn't earn a higher rating than 7.8 on here. My children both under 10 have just watched it and loved it, for a film that is 50 years old that it great testament to it's class and staying power. Simply one of the best films of all time.