zulu dawn
'' zulu dawn'' is rated pg ('' parental guidance suggested''). it contains considerable violence and some footage of half - clad zulu women. janet maslin
zulu extras watch their first movie on the zulu set... it was a b - western
unfortunately, unlike
zulu
,
zulu dawn
dialogue has very few memorable phrases which spring to mind and which you can bring into everyday conversation or use in your business presentations .
the prequel to
zulu
, cy endfield' s classic 1964 film ,
zulu dawn
stars burt lancaster and peter o' toole as commanders of the british army who underestimate the power of the zulu warriors at the battle of isandlwana .
the director of zulu dawn is douglas hickox (making his first film in south africa) and the director of photography is ousama rawi. both are from england .
review: fifteen years after the release of zulu, the british film industry offered this prequel. zulu dawn documents the circumstances leading up to the confrontation depicted in the earlier film, focusing on the increasing tensions between british colonial offici… (more )
filming
zulu dawn
on location in south africa
by lukk, tiiu - american cinematographer, vol. 60, issue 2, february 1979 | online research library: questia
the drama is being re - created for zulu dawn under the banner of samarkand productions, an international independent production company formed by james faulkner, barrie saint clair, nate kohn and dieter nobbe .
zulu dawn, directed by douglas hickox; screenplay by cy endfield and anthony storey, from the story by mr. endfield; photography by ousami rawi; music by elmer bernstein; produced by nate kohn and samarkand and zulu dawn films; released by new world pic - tures. at the thalia, west 95th street and broadway. running time: 117 minutes. this film is rated pg .
'' zulu dawn'' is a sequel to the british 1964 battle epic'' zulu,'' except it isn' t a sequel, it' s a prequel. it tells of the events leading up to the bloody fight depicted in'' zulu,'' a movie that presented white british troops slaughtering such staggering numbers of africans that trouble sometimes broke out in the theaters in which'' zulu'' was shown.'' zulu dawn,'' which was made in 1979, is another sweeping battle film, one that' s less exciting but certainly more even - handed .
although being a prequel concerning events that happened just before' zulu',' zulu dawn' is a completely different picture. whilst' zulu' dealt with heroic acts (in an almost hopeless situation),' zulu dawn' focuses on the pomp of the british empire and ill - advised tactics, employed by the british army. this awful military blunder saw 1, 300 british massacred by 20, 000 zulu warriors. despite having burt lancaster and peter o' toole, something seems to be missing, though it' s hard to pin down exactly what. the start is fairly ponderous, though you certainly get to learn a lot more about the zulu wars as a whole .
prequel to zulu depicts the british defeat at the hands of zulu warriors at the battle of isandlwana. top notch production values. not quite as good as zulu, which was helped by stanley baker' s character and michael caine .
meticulous recreation of a bloody clash between british and zulu forces in 1879 south - africa .
fifteen years after the release of zulu, the british film industry offered this prequel. zulu dawn documents the circumstances leading up to the confrontation depicted in the earlier film, focusing on the increasing tensions between british colonial officials and the zulus, and culminates with the extermination of 1, 500 british soldiers at the battle of... read more
directed by douglas hickox from a screenplay by endfield (who also wrote the script to his 1964 film) ,
zulu dawn
captures the overconfidence and incompetent leadership of the british army that would lead to one of the most stunning defeats in its history .
] cetshwayo' s zulu army to disband and the warriors permitted to return to their homes .
floating world
kimono zulu trunk show and artist talk & reception at cind ...
zulu dawn is the 1979 prequel to zulu (1964) and was directed by douglas hickox (brannigan, sky riders). the film stars peter o' toole, burt lancaster, simon ward and denholm elliott and dramatizes the events at and leading up to the battle of isandlwana, which occurred right before the battle of rorke' s drift, which occurred later that day .
although less spectacular than its predecessor
zulu
zulu dawn
is still an excellent war film which properly captures the sheer incompetence of the senior british officers and the nobility and fighting spirit of the zulus. the action sequences are expertly handled and the frightening ferocity and speed of the zulu attack and the total overwhelming of the british forces is well portrayed. the film isn' t quite so impressive in the acting stakes, with stars o' toole & lancaster being overshadowed by the likes of bob hoskins, paul copley and dai bradley as the squaddies forced to suffer the fatal consequences of their officers' mistakes. it also misses the stirring john barry score from the previous film, with bernstein' s score only making an impact during the fight sequences. if you have the time and the inclination, trying watching
zulu dawn
and
zulu
back to back. tremendous .
a dramatization of the battle of isandlwana, where the british army met its match against the zulu nation .
zulu! 1964 victoria cross roll call. . adam baker' s dad and his crew defending the drift !
a fantastic film. spoiled a little bit by having an american in one of its lead roles. even that cannot detract from the political intrigue and deep sadness this film portrays. as an englishman i will always support my fellow countrymen. however,' zulu dawn' shows that this war could have been avoided .
splendidly stiff - upper - lipped support comes from a heroic burt lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, bob hoskins. although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of rorke' s drift that followed soon after, zulu dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of british imperial diplomacy. - - paul tonks
zulu dawn
on the other hand, is closer to the true events as they occured at isandhlwana, prior to the engagement at rorke' s drift. but despite having a great american actor (burt lancaster), it didn' t achieve' box office' success. i think that this is a pity since the film comes closer to the reality of events than
zulu
, and although occuring on the same day, were different engagements .
severin films brings' zulu dawn' to blu - ray as a two - disc combo pack: one a region free, bd25 while the other a dvd - 9. both discs are housed inside a blue eco - elite case on opposing panels. at startup, the blu - ray goes straight to a standard menu selection with a silent static screen .
opening credits prologue: one hundred years ago the british colony of natal in southern africa was surrounded by a vast and independent zulu kingdom .
to mark the release of zulu on 5th may, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on blu - ray. 22nd january 1964 – on the 85th anniversary of the battle of rorke’s drift during the anglo - zulu war in south africa, the theatrical release of a new historical war drama made an indelible mark on british cinematic history. cy endfield ’s (the mysterious island, zulu dawn) dramatic military re - enactment; zulu, depicted the ultimate david and goliath tale of a relatively small garrison of 139 british and colonial soldiers stalwartly defending their mission station against an army of 4, 500 zulu warriors. eleven of the surviving men were subsequently awarded a victoria cross for outstanding bravery on the battle field. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this classic screen giant, along with the 135th anniversary of the troop’s victory, the next generation can now enjoy a brand new collectible anniversary edition of this bafta® nominated movie juggernaut ,
this dramatic and true story recounts the breathtaking defeat of british forces at the hands of a 24, 000 strong and relentlessly determined zulu army in 1879 .
it also suffered from being compared to the much more enjoyable zulu. that film was a tour de force... this more a grande farce .
zulu
is the film which has introduced many to the subject of the anglo - zulu war with viewers all over the world enjoying the spectacle and brilliant colours shown in the film. it is based loosely on the real events, and despite not having the now obligitory american actor, has become a classic .
'' zulu dawn,'' at the thalia, does its best to present both sides of the story. it chronicles a battle that took place jan. 22, 1879, at the mountain of isandhlwana, in south africa. there, british troops under the command of gen. lord chelmsford, played by peter o' toole, with only a faint echo of his imperious'' lawrence of arabia'' glamour, instigate a disastrous battle against 30, 000 zulu warriors. though the british troops are armed with rifles against the zulus' spears, the british are massacred anyway .
the zulu cause is sympathetically represented, especially when a british messenger orders the zulu chief, cetshwayo (simon sabela), to change a few tribal customs. cetshwayo replies that he doesn' t try to tell queen victoria what to do. the british take this as a declaration of war, and the fighting begins .
an impressive recreation of the events leading up to and of the battle of isandlwana. the cast quality was first class, but the film jumped about from british to zulu camps and back again to much, and some more footage of the zulu rulers and their decisions would have been nice. as it is the film gave a fairly balanced account of both sides. the actual battle scenes were very impressive but given the area at isandlwana were not as tightly shot as in zulu nor as good, and thus the same atmosphere just wasn' t there, with scenes jumping around, and you could not relate to the individual characters as much as in zulu, as they were on and off screen to quickly. the zulu charge though was frightening, and you felt for the soldiers who had to meet it. in short, not as good as the original, and with some mistakes in the british weapons and some equipment, but a very good introduction to zulu if you were to see both movies back to back .
bought used, arrived on time and in the condition advertised. my teen kids have taken a liking to the old hollywood' epics' ever since i told them the numbers of human actors / extras that were used in the big scenes - it came as a surprise to them it wasn' t cgi - so they watch the large scenes in awe. not as good as zulu, but well worth watching alongside zulu, zulu dawn is a classic epic movie. i' m not overly bothered about buying dvd rather than the higher resolution bluray due to the age of the movie... . we have more dvd players than bluray payers and the lower dvd cost, plus all the extras (no pun intended) that the special edition dvds have, often make the dvds a better choice for us .
what an excellent depiction of the blundering that can be made by pompous generals - it' s a wonder england held the empire for so long! if you watch this on video the editing is less than perfect - the subtitles get lost so you can' t read them properly. if you want a good night of it, rent this one and then watch zulu. the second film shows what happens at the second battle that occurred very shortly after the massacre in zulu dawn. peter o' toole is magnificent and the commanding officer that doesn' t know how to fight the zulu and won' t take advice from those that do. the scene where the quartermaster is making the runners line up for ammunition in the thick of the fight made my skin crawl. imagine being armed with a single shot rifle that has to be loaded each time, being short on ammo, and seeing thousands of angry spear throwing zulu' s charging at you. great film - 8 / 10
s one final volley but some of the zulu bodies are right up to the soldiers. how did those zulus get right up to the british line without being hit earlier ?
this wednesday marks a double anniversary. on 22 january 1879, at a remote mission station in natal, south africa, barely more than 100 british soldiers held off wave after wave of attacks by some 4, 000 zulu warriors. the battle of rorke’s drift lasted 10 hours, from late afternoon till just before dawn the following morning. by the end of the fighting, 15 soldiers lay dead, with another two mortally wounded. surrounding the camp were the bodies of 350 zulus .
douglas hickox, who also directed a screen version of'' entertaining mr. sloan,'' makes'' zulu dawn'' picturesque and proper, if a little dull. for all the mayhem in the movie, there isn' t much emotion, even when the fighters are dropping like flies. but the scenery, the top - flight cast and the thousands of african extras make this an eye - catching film even if it isn' t a particulary dramatic one .
sheldon hall is a senior lecturer in stage and screen studies at sheffield hallam university. an expanded second edition of his book ‘zulu: with some guts behind it – the making of the epic movie’ will be published later in the year by tomahawk press. for advance orders and inquiries, visit urltoken or email sales @ urltoken, with ‘zulu’ in the subject box
kimono zulu, a creative exploration led by tina zulu will host “floating world, ” a one - day trunk show presentation and reception on saturday, may 20th, at cindy lisica gallery. the collection highlights kimono zulu’s artist collaboration series featuring redesigned and reimagined japanese vintage kimonos by multimedia artists and fashion designers: selven o' keef jarmon, katsola, dandee warhol, christy karll, jennifer gabiola of dawningsoul, royal mcgee, mina gaber, soi - k, judy masliyah of my flaming heart, elijah coccetti, rene cruz and ann brooks .
ah durban! south africa' s cultural melting pot of english, afrikaner, indian, and zulu. famous for her sunny beaches and busy harbour; infamous for her cauterizing curries and wizardly weed. i grew up in the central green foothills you can see below, half an hour from those miles of golden sand. the snowcapped mountain range in the distance is the drakensberg, named for the vast dragon' s back it resembles. you may well have seen those mountains up close if you' ve ever watched cry, the beloved country, or the historical war films zulu and zulu dawn. durban is also home to southern africa' s longest running and largest film festival, and as a local boy it gives me the giddys to introduce twitch' s virgin coverage of the durban international... [ read the whole post on twitchfilm. com... ]
watching “ zulu dawn, ” now out on blu - ray, you get the distinct impression that this is a british version of frontier mythology. instead of the wide, wild american west, you’re given britain’s colonialism in africa. even the music feels like a sweeping western score. the 1979 prequel to “zulu” rides the line between being a pure artifact of a bygone era—one that depicts a romanticized, unrealistic version of the time—and a modern, revisionist take that strives for a more accurate portrayal of historical reality. the zulu, though portrayed as fierce warriors, are not simply bloodthirsty savages bent on eradicating the noble white man. granted, they’re not exactly well rounded, but they’re not presented as a monolithic evil, either. their war is a defensive war, fought to preserve their way of life and culture. they aren’t given much to make them human on an individual level ,
no, it' s not zulu chief gatsha buthelezi' s lnkatha political movement gone wild. it' s the re - creation of an epic battle that took place 100 years ago, when 25, 000 zulu warriors attacked and massacred a british column at isandhlawana, inflicting on the british the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns .
zulu dawn is the story of the battle of isandhlawana, which took place in zululand, in south africa, on january 22, 1879. a british force of 5, 000 europeans and 8, 200 natives, led by general lord chelmsford invaded zululand. cetshwayo, the zulu king, had a force of 40, 000 men. one of chelmsford' s columns, encamped near isandhlawana en route to the royal kraal at ulundi, was attacked by a force of 25, 000 zulus around 11: 30 a. m. , and by 1: 30 p. m. the battle was over. the british lost 806 europeans and 471 natives; the number of zulus who died is not known .
chelmsford' s optimism couldn' t be more mistaken, and his own actions are largely to blame. one of his most wrongheaded decisions - even a journalist observing the campaign advises against it - is to break a basic rule of battle and prematurely split his forces, sending his most powerful units toward the zulu capital, ulundi, because he believes a false report that the zulu regiments, called impis, have their main staging area there. this overextends the supply line for ammunition, making bullets increasingly scarce, and thins the british ranks that must face the actual zulu attack when it occurs .
after the unveiling ceremony, there was a reception at the civic centre in bromley, where food and wine was served. the film' zulu' was also shown in one of the reception rooms .
i don’t immediately recognize dawn richard when i first spot her guiding a van through a gate to load - in for her performance at pitchfork music festival. dazed by the creamy white and disco diamante of her stage costume, i didn’t immediately realize who i was looking at, but it was impossible not to know that i had just seen someone famous .
we waited a long time for the prequel to
zulu
, so eventually we got
zulu dawn
. it depicts the battle of isandhlwana between the british and the zulus. it turned out to be one of the great disasters the british ever experienced. the zulus in this film are accurately depicted as highly disciplined soldiers, and in some ways shows them in a more human way than
zulu
. historically, it is reasonably accurate - at the time it was filmed. by that i mean, recent scholarship has showed that the assumed reasons for the british problems were really not the case. it wasn' t that there were difficulties with ammunition, it was that the rifles were used so much they began to misfire, plus atmospheric conditions degraded visibility contributing to british disaster. but a fine, entertaining movie filmed on a much bigger scale than
sulu
was. if you can find it, see it. burt lancaster was especially good in his role .
the history of the zulu wars (hd, 26 min) — historian and author ian knight provides a contextual background on this historical battle with interesting information on its commencement and the fighting techniques of both sides .
the webley mk vi is carried by british officers and ncos. like the earlier film, zulu, the webley mk vi stands in for the earlier webley and adams models which were either standard issue or privately purchased .
. set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic battle of isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the british army by natives - - the british contingent was outnumbered 16 - to - 1 by the zulu tribesmen .
like all films, zulu is of its time and captures the mood of its time more profoundly than is often realised. a conservative view would see it as a hymn to gung - ho heroism, to flag - waving patriotism and the glory days of the british empire. in fact, by 1964 the sun was already setting on the empire and undoubtedly zulu stirred a lot of nostalgia for it. for some, that explains its appeal .
a prequel to the 1964 war classic,' zulu dawn' portrays the events which led to that historical battle between the british and the zulus with mostly entertaining results. with a fantastic cast leading the charge, the film has a good deal worth admiring and makes a nice companion piece to the original, but it' s doesn' t quite match the stature and greatness of its predecessor. the blu - ray arrives with a mostly average audio and video presentation, yet it shows potential if given the proper restoration and remaster. supplements are very light but entertaining nonetheless, making the overall package a respectable purchase for fans .
prequel to zulu dominated by another monumental battle scene. as a canadian and loyal british subject to her majesty the queen, it angered me the zulus didn' t allow the brits to at least save their flag in this battle .
zulu dawn direction: douglas hickox. screenplay: anthony storey, cy endfield. cinematography: ousama rawi. second - unit direction: david tomblin, peter macdonald. editing: malcolm cooke. music: elmer bernstein. production: nate john, james faulkner; executive producer: barrie saint clair. the players: burt lancaster, peter o’toole, simon ward, john mills, denholm elliott, michael jayston, nigel davenport, anna calder - marshall, peter vaughan, ronald pickup, simon sabela, christopher cazenove, david bradley, ken gampu, freddie jones, ronald lacey, james faulkner, bob hoskins, paul copley, phil daniels .
all three were committed to progressive causes, but their motives in making zulu were not political. it is not an anti - imperial diatribe any more than it is a celebration of colonial conquest. its main purpose was frankly commercial, but baker also saw the story as an chance to pay tribute to his welsh homeland. this certainly explains the strong emphasis on the welshness of the private soldiers – one of the many fictionalised elements of zulu that have created a myth around the battle .
chelmsford accepted reports that the main zulu force was towards ulundi and took half of his force in that direction. reports from fannin (the disreputable english settler) were not to be accepted as gospel seeing as he appeared appeared to be an habitual liar .
unfold in natal, a province of british south africa where the british used conflict between indigenous zulus and land - grabbing boers as an excuse to begin the anglo - zulu war, designed to weaken the zulus' military and economic capabilities. two of the british aristocrats who run natal from their cape colony headquarters, lord chelmsford and sir henry bartle frere, send a message to the zulu leader cetshwayo commanding him to disband his army and dissolve his empire. cetshwayo' s rejection of the demand gives bartle frere cover to invade zululand with troops led by chelmsford, who foresees a resounding victory .
well, gentlemen ,
he smugly says to his officers when the first zulu falls ,
first blood to us, and a rousing good report in the newspapers to satisfy the politicians, eh ?
in several shots (most notable when the zulus first come into view of the camp) it' s obvious that many of the zulu warriors are carrying fake shields: instead of cowhide, the shields are obviously just painted on some sort of a plate, probably plywood .
a modern awareness of racial representation means that zulu has undoubtedly “dated”. if the film were to be remade today, as internet rumours continually suggest, it would certainly be done differently. but the absence of individuated black characters doesn’t make it racist. though told from the british point of view, it shows that viewpoint change from dismissive contempt and naked fear to respect and even admiration. the famous (and entirely fictional) salute the departing zulu army pays to the garrison survivors is returned with their – and our – gaze of awe and wonder .
colonel pulleine (denholm elliott) carries a webley pryse as his service weapon. this weapon was commonly privately purchased by officers during this period. mr. fannin (don leonard), the boer merchant who is chased by zulu warriors, also appears to have this model pistol .
although not as poignant or penetrating as its predecessor,' zulu dawn' does offer several incisive moments on imperial rule, seeming tyrannical and despotically harsh, and the sheer stupidity of arrogance. as the title cleverly and somewhat romantically implies, the film is a prequel to the original, depicting the events that led to a massive confrontation between the two nations and demonstrated to the world that a great power must eventually fall, usually by the most unexpected enemy. revisiting it again after many years, and with very recent history in mind, it' s fascinating to watch and hear military action justified as a preemptive measure, largely due to fear and racial prejudice. as the plot unfolds, painting the invading british army in a negative light becomes a bit too apparent .
this film is by far, less renowned that its closely linked film of zulu. although this film was filmed over 10 years after zulu, it is in fact a prequel, as that battle of islandawana, took place prior to rorkes drift, i find this film to be more gripping with its tense drama and action. also it is historically far more correct in its depiction of the battle. my only critism, and it is a petty one! , is that the costume designers are correct in the way that they got the british infantry soldiers wearing
tea dyied
pithe helmets without there regimental badges, as to camouflage themselves and not stand out as bright shining targets as in zulu, however the same soldiers are seen constantly using short cavalary carbines and not the correct henry martini rifle! overall though a much forgotten and very good film
unfortunately, many of these positives feel somewhat lost and go slightly unnoticed amid an attempt to give each of the characters equal weight in the first act, slowing everything down almost to the point of boredom. it' s not difficult to quickly learn that these soldiers are about to face a devastating defeat, especially since the previous film begins at the site of this embarrassing loss to the british empire. tensions don' t really begin to seriously mount until about halfway into the runtime, leaving the final encounter, as entertaining and spectacular as it is, to feel a bit rushed and indecipherably chaotic. in the end,' zulu dawn' has its moments and its strengths outnumber its negligible drawbacks, making it a good companion piece to cy endfield' s 1964 war classic .
in the film, the zulus shout' why do you come to the land of the zulu?' the answer by melvill was' we come here by the orders of the great queen victoria', not' by the orders of the great white queen' as it was in reality .
alhough caine has sometimes claimed that reviewers gave him a hard time, in fact almost every mention of him in press notices was favourable. zulu brought him the attention which led to multi - film contracts and to top billing in his very next picture as harry palmer in the ipcress file (1965) .
for the opening sequence depicting a mass zulu wedding, 600 additional background artists were brought in, including nightclub performers from johannesburg, to play the principal dancers. during breaks in filming, they twisted and jived to modern pop records played over tannoys, with director cy endfield among the crew members joining them .
speaks articulately to issues of the twentieth century, as when bartle frere anticipates the phraseology of nazi genocide by referring to
the final solution of the zulu problem ,
and to issues of our own century, showing how the torture and humiliation of prisoners can rebound on the people who inflict it. all told ,
in the latest edition of the dusty vhs corner, tom jolliffe looks at the films of anthony hickox … director anthony hickox comes from a strong cinematic lineage. his father, douglas hickox was also a director (zulu dawn, theatre of blood) whilst his mother is critically lauded editor anne v. coates (lawrence of arabia). a career in the film industry seemed destined, even if his start would require a lot of persistence and a lot of luck. his debut film waxwork almost didn’t see the light of day. hickox met the producer, staffan ahrenherg when he crashed his car into the back of ahrenberg’s. with barely a penny to his name, hickox managed to persuade ahrenberg to let him pay for the damage by letting him write a script for him on the cheap. ahrenberg agreed, and waxwork was written by hickox in three days. the script was rejected from almost every studio ,
on the january 22nd 1879 the british army suffered one of its worst defeats when zulu forces massacred 1, 500 of its troops at isandlhwana. a short time after the main battle a zulu force numbering in excess of 4000 warriors advanced on a british hospital and supply dump guarded by 139 welsh infantrymen. the film concentrates on this bloody 12 hour battle during which the british force, under their commander from the royal engineers who happened to be in the area building a bridge and happened to be senior to the infantry officer, won 11 victoria crosses. while taking some liberties with history the film follows reality fairly closely, including matching exactly the identities of the vc winners .
q: at the climax of the film simon wards character lt. william vereker had his horse shot from under him and becomes trapped, when he sees the flag being taken by the zulus he aims then shoots the flag from the zulu, did this shot take place at the real battle? , and did lt. william vereker survive ?
puzzled by his failure to find zulus preparing their charge, chelmsford makes the situation even worse by setting up camp near mount isandlwana but neglecting to circle the wagons and dig trenches for his troops. before long the zulus launch a full - scale assault on the main camp, helped by information from a couple of prisoners who escape their british captors, make their way to the zulu command, and report what they' ve overheard. british weaponry is modern and spectacular, but it can' t overcome the sheer numbers, ferocity, and tenacity of the zulu army, which emerges victorious after fighting that grows steadily more desperate on the british side and steadily more vicious on both sides .
contrary to stories the zulus were not paid with gifts of cattle or wristwatches but received wages in rand. the main corps was paid the equivalent of nine shillings per day each, additional extras eight shillings, and the female dancers slightly less again. associate producer basil keys remarked: “there is no equality of pay for women in the zulu nation! ”
the only reason for buying this (and also the dvd of
zulu
) was because i am going on a visit to the battlefields of kwazulu natal and i wanted a little help understanding the history and was told these films would be of interest as a part of my research. whilst the movies are very old fashioned in the way they are filmed they nevertheless do tell the story in an interesting way and i did find them to be useful in developing my understanding of the time when used alongside the context of genuine history accounts. although this was the second movie to be made you should watch this one prior to viewing
zulu
as this film is about the first battle to be fought .
i have avoided buying a copy of zulu dawn up until now because the dvd' s available have either been of poor quality or lacking its correct aspect ratio. then recently, i noticed an advert for a new region 1 offer, boasting a 2: 35: 1 scope picture but also with a remastered, high definition picture. i took a chance despite never having heard of its production company, severin. well, i wish i hadn' t, the picture is far from perfect. it is much darker than the version shown on british television and despite its boast of being remastered, it is often blurred, with facial features reduced to a blank mash if seen from a reasonable distance. clearly, the master they have used was a poor print otherwise it would have the fine definition and print as seen on our televisions. it will have to do for now, until the definitive version is finally released, but don' t expect perfection from severin' s disappointing version .
as a long - time fan of the original
zulu
i' m always surprised this film hasn' t got the same reputation. true the story isn' t as' tight' as the sixties classic (more scene - setting, more characters to deal with) but the production values are excellent, the photography beautiful and the climactic battle scenes brilliantly staged .
the incident at fugitives' drift in the film is artistic licence. there is a killing scene in the sand with vereker shooting the red coated zulu who then lets the colours fall into the buffalo river. in reality, melvill was helped by lt. higginson at the coffin rock. coghill, who had escaped separately returned to help, having his horse shot from under him .
this makes for a remarkable tale of courage and tenacity, on both sides of the perimeter. but historically the battle was a minor incident which had little influence on the course of the anglo - zulu war. it might have remained a footnote in the history books or an anecdote told at regimental dinners had it not been for a film which dramatised the story and has kept it in the public mind ever since .
just as the soldiers were played by real soldiers – eighty national servicemen borrowed from the south african national defence force – so were most of the zulus real zulus. a mere 240 zulu extras were employed for the battle scenes, bussed in from their tribal homes over 100 miles away. around 1, 000 additional tribesmen were filmed by the second unit in zululand, but most of these scenes hit the cutting - room floor .
a historical accurate film that requires close attention to details like most english movies. the film should be seen with
shaka zulu ,
zulu and
rhodes .
in this way you get a better picture of what was going on in south africa during that era. this is a war movie commentary showing not all wars are heroic and victorious all of the time. as in many wars, many mistakes are made and watching them is worth the viewing. the acting is superb and when you come to know the true history of the exploitation of the continent, you will understand why colonialism was a racist concept built on manipulation, and costing the lives of good decent and honest common men and women for the benefit of the very few rich and powerful. in the end, was it worth it is the question to be answered? watch all four films and then you decide !
the principal artists responsible for zulu were hardly establishment figures. screenwriter john prebble was a former communist party member who had volunteered to fight in the spanish civil war. his co - writer, the american director cy endfield, had fled hollywood in the early 1950s after he was named as a communist during the mccarthyite witch - hunts. endfield’s production partner and the film’s main star was stanley baker, a life - long supporter of the labour party .
the exhibition on view at the gallery is “order from chaos” by houston - based french artist emilie duval. it features mixed media artwork and large - scale paintings that explore digital technology, architecture and “contemporary baroque - ness”. the kimono zulu event title of the “floating world” (ukiyo) refers to the edo period in tokyo (17th - 19th centuries), where kabuki theater and colorful woodblock prints, along with overtones of extravagance, amusement and style were prevalent. these reimagined pieces of wearable art in the form of kimonos stem from this world of wonder and wit. “this collaboration represents a crossroads of history, culture and art in the gallery, explains gallery owner cindy lisica, who also holds a phd in art history with a focus on japan. “duval’s artwork considers material, economy, fashion and excess, so the event with kimono zulu is an exciting fusion of art and fashion, aesthetics and concept. ”
two lieutenants, chard of engineers and bromhead find that their 140 man contingent in natal has been isolated by the destruction of the main british army column and that 4, 000 zulu warriors will descend on them in hours. each has a different military background in tactics and they are immediatly in conflict on how to prepare for the attack. nearly a third of the men are in the infirmary, as the welsh company tries to somehow survive with no help in sight. based on a true story. < / p >
premiered 85 years to the day after the event it commemorates, the film zulu is 50 years’ old this week. on its initial release, in 1964, it was one of the biggest box - office hits of all time in the home market. for the next 12 years it remained in constant cinema circulation before making its first appearance on television. it has since become a bank holiday television perennial, and remains beloved by the british public. but the story behind the film’s making is as unusual as the one that it tells .
i won' t go through the details of the movie, as that has been adequately covered in previous reviews. i found this movie very
hollywood ,
with little substance. it cannot hold a candle to the earlier
zulu .
a side note, from an earlier review :
the main cause for the british disaster is fairly clear in the movie, and that' s the method of giving out bullets. peter vaughan gives a crafty performance as the quarrelsome quartermaster who demands that each bullet be accounted for at the head office. the niggardly way the bullets were dispersed to the men, who were holding the zulu back until they ran out of ammunition on the front lines while crates of bullets were held back in the wagons, was the primary cause of the disaster .
that may be the
theatrical
reason for the defeat. however, later research has shown that the martini - enfield will seize in relatively short order due to the heat generated by rapid firing. the
held back
ammunition theory, and the
un - openable cartridge crate
theory were both debunked after extensive digging at the site .
the events leading up to and culminating with the 1879 battle of ishandlwana are depicted very well in this exciting film. although made some 15 years after the 1964 flim
zulu
, this film is actually the
prequel
to the other and should be viewed first in order for a better understanding of these two events in the british invasion of zululand. the cast contains too many splendid actors and performances to single any out. some historical errors do creep in but, on the whole, the film conveys the look and feel of the real thing. very much worth the price of admission .
in 1879 south africa, the administrators of the british cape colony have designs to eliminate the zulus as a hindrance to their colonial economy. to that end, the british present king cetshwayo with an impossible ultimatum to provoke a war they are sure they can win easily with their rifles and artillery against native spears. however, that war proves more difficult than the arrogant british commander, lord chelmsford, expects as his overburdened army fruitlessly searches for the elusive enemy. however, in the shadow of a hill called isandlwana, the overconfident british army learns to its sorrow just how badly they have underestimated the tactical skill and might of the zulu nation .
the small but key role of king cetshwayo was given to his direct descendant, the present - day prince mangosuthu buthelezi. the wedding dance was choreographed by buthelezi’s mother, a tribal historian, and supervised by stuntman simon sabela, who later became south africa’s first black film director. in july last year, accepting an award named after sabela, buthelezi dedicated it to “that epic production, which became a milestone event, not only in cinematic history, but within the zulu nation. ” he recalled that the cast “found themselves re - enacting the deeds of their own grandfathers. somehow this drew the audience into what was, in the end, a very human experience. ”
spent 3 nights from 20th sept 2014 with titan tours. two local tours were arranged via the hotel using their staff to visit mkuze game reserve & lake jozini boat cruise / local culture. the second was optional on our tour but both were worthwhile experiences within the area. (see separate
things to do
reviews. so far as concerns the hotel this a great place to stay. the hotel is set in the valley next to cane fields and is adjacent to a lake which irrigates the area. . the mountains rise above the valley and when dawn breaks with mist over the lake this is quite magical. a board walk stretches from the grounds to the edge of the lake which is very tranquil. saw wild fowl but the crocodiles were rather more elusive. the grounds are full of flowering trees / shrubs and weaver bird nests are all around. also a swimming pool area. the rooms are all on the ground level with sliding window to patio with table / chairs and recliners looking into the gardens. the rooms are of a reasonable size with all the usual facilities. and kept clean. so far as concerns the food the buffet breakfasts were very very good from full
english
, to cold meats and a big selection of cheeses. the dinner buffets were very good at 200r. the bar prices were fine and the barman attentive. one night we had a braai (traditional barbecue) but whilst this was barbecue food it was prepared in the kitchens and brought out. no big deal since it was good. we were then treated to a local zulu dance group performing traditional dances (with a bit of break dancing thrown in !) seriously it was very enjoyable. i think i have covered most things other than to say without exception the management and all the staff were really pleasant and helpful. will seek out this hotel if ever in the area again
while he was away the camp was attacked from the left (positions being related to the view from the camp with your back to isandlwana) and the british lines were far to the left and therefore ammunition supplies over - extended. the lines of red coats were also therefore thinly dispersed to face an overwhelming number of zulus. when the retreat was ordered, the zulus were easily able to overtake or prevent a reformation. durnford was sent to the front at the donga (a dried up river some half a mile from the camp), to counter the zulu left horn. much has been commented on the ammunition boxes and their inaccessibility. ian knight has theorised that this was not a factor in the inadequate supply of ammunition .
spent 3 nights from 20th sept 2014 with titan tours. two local tours were arranged via the hotel using their staff to visit mkuze game reserve & lake jozini boat cruise / local culture. the second was optional on our tour but both were worthwhile experiences within the area. (see separate
things to do
reviews. so far as concerns the hotel this a great place to stay. the hotel is set in the valley next to cane fields and is adjacent to a lake which irrigates the area. . the mountains rise above the valley and when dawn breaks with mist over the lake this is quite magical. a board walk stretches from the grounds to the edge of the lake which is very tranquil. saw wild fowl but the crocodiles were rather more elusive. the grounds are full of flowering trees / shrubs and weaver bird nests are all around. also a swimming pool area. the rooms are all on the ground level with sliding window to patio with table / chairs and recliners looking into the gardens. the rooms are of a reasonable size with all the usual facilities. and kept clean. so far as concerns the food the buffet breakfasts were very very good from full
english
, to cold meats and a big selection of cheeses. the dinner buffets were very good at 200r. the bar prices were fine and the barman attentive. one night we had a braai (traditional barbecue) but whilst ...
nevertheless, the story maintains a steady and appealing pace, with several minor complications building towards the inevitable confrontation history well remembers — the knowledge of which adds an underlying sense of tragedy to the boastful dinner gatherings of prim - and - proper, completely oblivious officers. simon ward (' young winston' and as bishop stephen gardiner in showtime' s' the tudors') stars as the young and ambitious lt. william vereker, whose high - society seriousness and enthusiasm for war are soon questioned when witnessing prisoner torture. burt lancaster is the sympathetic and thoughtful colonel durnford, commanding an african troop during the battle of isandlwana, the fight preceding the battle depicted in the original' zulu.' and bob hoskins (' who framed roger rabbit?') shows up as vehement, stalwart sergeant williams fighting to the bitter end as the fearfully brash soldier he is.
zulu dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical battle of isandlwana between british and zulu forces in 1879 in south africa . the screenplay was by cy endfield , from his book , and anthony storey . the film was directed by douglas hickox . the score was composed by elmer bernstein . zulu dawn is a prequel to zulu , released in 1964 , which depicts the historical battle of rorke 's drift later the same day , and was co-written and directed by cy endfield . 
zulu dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical battle of isandlwana between british and zulu forces in 1879 in south africa. the screenplay was by cy endfield, from his book, and anthony storey. the film was directed by douglas hickox. the score was composed by elmer bernstein. zulu dawn is a prequel to zulu, released in 1964, which depicts the historical battle of rorke's drift later the same day, and was co-written and directed by cy endfield.
zulu dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical battle of isandlwana between british and zulu forces in 1879 in south africa. the screenplay was by cy endfield, from his book, and anthony storey. the film was directed by douglas hickox. the score was composed by elmer bernstein. zulu dawn is a prequel to zulu, released in 1964, which depicts the historical battle of rorke's drift later the same day, and was co-written and directed by cy endfield.