Rating: 
Summary: War is fought by men...
Review: This is one of the most impressive movies ever done of a historical battle. This film also manages to convey not only the tedium, the endless waiting and the buildup of fear the soldiers must experience while waiting for the eventual confrontation, but it also humanizes the enemy. It shows you the enormous differences between the two cultures, yet manages to portray both groups of soldiers as people, respecting each others abilities. I have read a few reviews by some stating there are a few inaccuracies with some of the characters, which is an unfortunate disservice to the audience. I will confess the my knowledge of the exact events at Rorke's Drift is limited so I can't nitpick at its shortcomings, but the intensity of this movie is just unsurpassed, that I have to give it 5 stars.
The Zulu warriors were magnificent, frightening, human and so utterly in contrast to the British, that you couldn't fail to question the relevance of these two peoples needing to confront in the first place. The anticipation of the coming battle kept me on the edge of my seat like no other movie has been able to do (amazing considering there was about an hours worth of daily military life, and updates on the advancing army). I think this is far superior to any of the newer war films in that it deals with real fear: the emotional tensions and the sheer ugliness, yet courage and duty in the face of all these things (not to mention the pointlessness and the lives destroyed).
The shinning moment in these events, as portrayed in the movie, is the Zulu chanting. To find such beauty in the midst of the battle is beyond comprehension. I'm sure it would be near impossible to duplicate in today's films, but I am grateful to the makers of this film to show us this part of Zulu culture. For anyone interested in war this is a must see.
Rating:
Summary: Great Action Movie
Review: "Zulu" is a movie about one of the many far-flung battles that took place in the British Empire during the 19th Century. In this case the battle was in the south African country of Natal in the 1870's. A small outpost of British soldiers find themselves in the path of an army of native African warriors. The numbers are overwhelming in favor of the natives but the armaments favor the British soldiers. The battle scenes and the essence of sacrifice and bravery in the face of such odds are the strength of the movie.
The movie starts out a bit slow and there are characters involved that are of limited importance to the overall focus of the movie. However, once the issue is clear, the film moves along at a steady clip. In the prelude to battle and in the pauses in between fighting, a certain amount of character development takes place. The writers seem to have set up one Private Hook for a good deal of their attention. I guess this was to help us see the common cause to battle among British soldiers in even the shirkers in their midst. The acting is of a generally excellent quality. I especially liked the sergeant major whose name slips me. This is either the acting debut of Michael Caine or close thereafter. Both his talent and inexperience can be appreciated in "Zulu".
The native warriors are generally pictured as a mass of humanity which might bother some viewers. However, I suspect further development along this line would have detracted from the pace of the movie. This is the era of British Colonialism and the movie makes no serious attempt to discuss this phenomenon. That would likewise have detracted from the impact of the movie. I felt that the warriors were dealt with in a respectable manner but it was the over-matched British who were the subject of the film and this perspective was never lost.
This is a movie that I enjoy seeing over and over whenever I can. It appeals to the emotions in a postive way so long as courage, stamina and determination are seen as positive traits.
Rating:
Summary: Zulu
Review: A true story, Zulu is one of my all time favorites! Acting is superb as is the realism of war and the desperate struggle of 200 British soldiers to survive against impossible odds - 4,000 fearsome Zulu warriers. You will feel the soldier's terror at the sound of thousands of warriers beating their shields with their speers as they advance on their small compound from miles away. The battle - beginning at a distance and progressing to hand-to-hand combat - and the defensive tactics used by the British commanders is excellent. Once seen, you won't forget this one!
Rating:
Summary: The Alamo, only done the British way...
Review: Aside from the 60's glitches this film is an ultimate classic. It is possibly the first film that aknowledges the fact the British have a truly proud and GLORIOUS military history, certainly out does our (U.S) military history by a million miles.
80 fighting fit British soldiers hold of a horde of just over 4000 Zulu's who have been trained in combat since birth. The true story has it that the commanding officers Bromehead and Chard were not actually in command, one of the inferiors took over but that's not the point. The fact is that this is a brilliantly cast film with a dialogue that beats the hell out of all the Hollywood films made today.
Meh, all I can say is GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! I want to become a British citizen.
Oh and just to get one thing straight, 3/4 of the British forces in the battle were English and 1/4 were Welsh.
Rating:
Summary: They just wanted to build a bridge
Review: British Army engineers came to a mission to build a bridge and ended up fighting a three day war.
This movie is an icon of the 1960s. Clear, crisp colors. Red Brit. uniformed Tommies face off against the spear and shield lugging Zulus. Neither side will give.
Just from a cinematic experience alone one should watch this film. Some people might be squeamish about the death and carnage, but it is a fascinating slice of human drama.
All actors turn in marvelous performances, and I think this is one of Michael Caine's best.
Also, the John Barry score is the best non-James Bond score he did.
All around a good Friday night or Saturday afternoon movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic British Empire War Film
Review: I love this movie. A young, sexy beast Michael Caine in full droll mode, and beautiful brave Zulus. I think that's the remarkable thing about this film, both the British (technically it's a Welsh Division) and the Zulus come off as being outstandingly brave. And considering this film was made during the height of Apartheid in South Africa, I'm surprised the producers got away with such a favorable view of the Zulu people. The scenery is stunning, glorious locations. And the Zulu people themselves, their remarkable culture... if the scene where the Zulu warriors stop and sing in front of the Brits doesn't move you (talk about shock & awe!), something is wrong with you.
The acting is better than average. Michael Caine, arguably the greatest living actor now, is superb in one of his earliest outings. And Oh My is he wonderful to look at. Stanley Baker is also excellent, as is most of the ensemble cast. Nigel Green as the salt of the earth Sgt. keeping the men on their toes is a stand out.
Certainly there are moments of cheese, but they're few and far between. This is a very good war picture that sweeps you up and makes you care about the Brits (even though they had no business in Africa) and the fate of this tiny garrison. And it's based on real events, which makes the bravery displayed even more moving.
Rating:
Summary: Well filmed action epic based on real events!
Review: In 1879 a British column was nearly annihiliated by a large "impi" of Zulu warriors near Isandhlwana. Afterward, a small British force encamped at nearby Rorke's Drift (a trading station and mission) consisting of 104 fit soldiers and a number of invalids in a makeshift hospital became the next target. For two days the station was attacked by waves of Zulu warriors. The total number of attackers was about 4500. In the end, nearly 400 Zulus were killed in comparison with only about 20 of the defenders, the hospital was burned to the ground, and 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded to the survivors.The movie itself is a reasonably faithful re-creation of the events at Rorke's Drift, with good acting by Michael Caine, Stanley Baker, and a large supporting cast of Zulus. The ferocity of the assault, the stubborn, desperate defence by the small garrison, and the chaos of hand-to-hand combat at the barricades can all be felt through the cinematography. One wonderful aspect of this film is that the battle scenes were shot using huge numbers of actors in the role of Zulu warriors, who were obviously able to re-create the tactics and movement of the real army of 1879. Their war cries, synchronised clashing spear-on-shield movements, and in-formation advancement create the sense of a real army moving to attack the apparently doomed garrison. This is one of very few films that gives the viewer a sense of what combat must have been like in the days before mechanised armies appeared on the scene.
Rating:
Summary: A Rouser from the Days of the British Empire
Review: In 1879, 20,000 Zulu warriors wiped out to a man nearly 2,000 British regulars and auxiliaries at Isandhlwana in what was then Zululand. Immediately afterwards, 4,000 of the warriors set out for Rorke's Drift, a small British outpost manned by 100 soldiers. The soldiers were led by Lt. John Chard, a civil engineer trying to build a bridge, and Lt. Gonville Bromhead, an inexperienced product of the upperclass. Chard had seniority and neither had ever been in a battle before. This is the setup for Zulu, which tells the story of the battle for Rorke's Drift, where more won the Victoria Cross than in any single action before or since.
The movie's a rouser. The fighting scenes are extended and brutal, but the tactics of both the attackers and the defenders are kept clear. The Zulus used charges of massed warriors in sweeping flanking attacks, combined with rifle fire from the surrounding heights using guns captured at Isandhlwana. The British used firm discipline, a high rate of massed firepower, plus strategic retreats. Although only 500 Zulus were used, the producers were able to believeably create the impression of 4,000 before the days of CGO. Baker, who produced the movie, is decisive, practical and firm. Michael Caine, in his breakthrough role, starts out as an upperclass twit and becomes a brave and quick thinking officer. He looks great as a blond. The movie treats the Zulus with a great deal of respect. There's little of the condescension that you often find in movies with brave soldiers and natives who attack. The movie also is a bit long, with the scenes involving Jack Hawkins as a preacher who becomes unhinged being, in my view, extraneous.
All in all, this is a movie that's fun to watch more than once. It's aged very well.
For those interested in more background, there's an oustanding history by Donald Brooks called The Washing of the Spears. It goes into readable detail about the British/Zulu conflict and the inevitiable British victory to incorporate Zululand into South Africa. For those who like British regimental names as much as I do, the defenders are from the 24th Regiment of Foot of the South Wales Borderers. As a side note, while Chard and Bromhead both received Victoria Crosses, neither had a successful military career afterwards. Chard was never accepted by his fellow officers because he came from middle class stock and was an engineer by training. Bromhead turned out to be a lightweight without much military talent.
This DVD version looks very good.
Rating:
Summary: The Battle at Rorke's Drift, Natal, South Africa
Review: January 22-23 1879 will go down as one of the greatest and bravest days in British military history. The battle at Rorke's Drift, or as the Zulus called it "Jim's Place" is magnificently portrayed in this 1964 epic filmed on location in Natal. Michael Caine perfectly plays the part of Lieutenent Gonville Bromhead, a gentleman and professional soldier who along with Lieutenent John Chard of the Royal Engineers (played by Stanley Baker) masterminded the defence of the small missionary station at Rorke's Drift. 80 men of the South Wales Borderers 24th Regiment Of Foot defended the missionary station and it's 36 wounded men in the hospital against 4,000 zulu warriors. The Natal scenery and costumes of both the British soldiers and Zulu warriors are a highlight. The battle scenes were graphically ahead of it's time and the narration by Richard Burton (himself a welshman)certainly adds to the drama that would unfold. One criticism is levelled at the characterization of Private Alfred Henry Hook, who in the movie is portrayed as a drunken malingerer. He was in fact a gentleman and small landowner who was a well regarded soldier. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery in evacuating the sick and wounded from the burning hospital. Overall, as an avid historian on the Zulu War of 1879, I found this a compelling movie classic which has been watched over and over again by me and my 3 brothers( Tom, Chris and Sam) James Hulston from Sydney, Australia
Rating:
Summary: 20th Century version of a 19th Century action
Review: Some time after seeing ZULU in theatrical release, I found Morris' *The Washing of the Spears* and learned that some significant details of the film were in error. For one thing, very few of the defenders of Rorke's Drift were the beardless young soldiers depicted in the movie, most of 'B' Company, 2/24th, being regulars of long service. For another, the depiction of Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton as a fussy "old maid" type was unspeakably unfair. (Dalton was in fact a former Sergeant-Major with a Line Regiment, the 85th [Kings] Light Infantry, and was the individual responsible for convincing Lt. Chard to fortify and stand against the Ulundi Corps at the mission station. For his courage and the role he played in the defense of the Drift he was himself quite justly awarded the Victoria Cross.) In the 20th Century, we've become accustomed to seeing the ranks of infantry companies filled with young conscripts, usually 18 to 20 years of age, and we've lost touch with the fact that most of the "Little Wars" of Victorian England were fought by battalions of regulars wherein private soldiers were commonly in their late 20s and early 30s, with eight or ten years' service in their respective regiments. Moreover, we're inclined to think of noncombatant support troops like Commissary Dalton as "civilians in uniform" when in actuality they were likely to be hardened military veterans "double-dipping" in secondary careers (when they weren't active-duty NCOs or commissioned officers seconded to support functions). Finally, there are the romantically heroic depictions of Chard and Bromhead with which ZULU has to contend, the characterizations of these officers being very much at odds with historical record. In reality, Rorke's Drift was almost entirely a Sergeants' fight, with Colour Sergeant Bourne and ex-Sergeant Dalton largely responsible for the successful organization and execution of a skillful and tenacious defense against incredible odds. ZULU is an excellent action/adventure film, and stands up well even today, but it could have been even better had it been done with greater historical veracity, paying overdue tribute to the career enlisted men who made the British regimental system of the 19th Century the exemplary organizational model it was.
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