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Zulu (2 Disc Special Edition) [1964]


RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £5.64 (subject to change)

A tribute to the brave
Review date: 2008-11-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

The defence of the mission station at Rorkes Drift, Natal in 1879 not only softened the blow of the much larger defeat at Isandhlwana on the british public at the time, but also provided the basis of what is probably the best war film ever made. As with all films based on factual stories a certain ammount of poetic licence has been taken, numbers are about right 120 against 4000, and most of the names are correct, though not necessarily their charactor, but this all helps to make a memorable film.

Opening with scenes from the battleground at the ill fated clash at Isandhlwana, news filters through first to the camp of king Cetshwayo, then to the drift. This leads to scenes which identify the main charactors while the garrison make ready for the impending zulu attack, with tension constantly building up among the defenders.

Unlike some films this doesn't take up too much of the film and its not long before the drift is surrounded and under attack. The battlescenes are well choreographed and shot, not too gory, but in their own way show how heroic the defence was, without the histrionics associated with Hollywood productions.

This was I believe Michael Caine's first starring role, and along with Stanley Baker and Jack Hawkins, and a good support cast the acting is first class.

For many years this has been staple christmas tv fare, but the top drawer quality (audio and visual) of this release makes it a year round joy to watch.

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Reviews


Truly Spectacular Movie
Review date: 2008-08-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

This movie in my opinion is one of the best that was ever made.The movie enjoyed splendid location,superb actors and a great sountrack from John Barry.As to accuracy its not bad at all and should give you excellent entertainment value.The battle scenes in the film are superb and really well done and for a movie of this age has stood the test of time,I feel it was also good that Cy Enfieild tried to portray both sides of the story and thus made it more interesting to digest.Ive been to Rorkes Drift on a few occassions and its a great place to vist and get the feel of what really happened and take it all in,you also get a smashing cup of tea and a scone at the little restaurant.Back to the movie if you want to watch a brilliant epic movie that will keep you viewed to your TV then you need to get Zulu for your DVD collection.A true classic amongst classics,you will love this movie,I would also suggest get yourself a copy of Zulu Dawn while not as good as Zulu its still an excellent movie with great land scapes,quality acting and plenty of action and a must for your DVD collection,highly recommended.Hope my review is of help to you.

Assegais at the ready!
Review date: 2008-04-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is one of the greatest period war films ever made! OK - so it takes liberties with historical accuracy. It implies that the war is caused by a Zulu invasion of Natal rather than a British invasion of Zululand and there are emotions expressed by Bromhead and Chard after the battle which probably would not have come from a Victorian army officer. Also some inaccuracies with the portrayal: the Jack Hawkins character wasn't there, C/Sgt Bourne wasa young man of 26 (he survived until 1946), Pt.Hook was a
teetotaller and lay preacher, Bromhead was deaf and both he and Chard were heavily bearded. Rorke's Drift is a lot more defensible a position when you see it than it appears in the film - especially as n'Dubalamanzi's Impi was made up of mature warriors in their late 40s and early 50s - some of whom had not eaten for several days. They had not been at Isandhlwana and their firearms were old Enfield rifles or smoothbore muskets. The cork helmets should have been buff-coloured (stained with tea for active service) and the first volleys were delivered at 400 yards (optimum range for the Martini-Henry) rather than the 100 yards as in the film. Actually in one sequence the Brits are using long Lee-Enfield bolt action rifles with the magazines removed and shot from the left hand side to conceal the bolt handles (though you can see the cocking-pieces going forward if you care to look).
Yet it is a measure of the quality of the film that it rises above these inaccuracies to present a superb interpretation of the event with well-drawn characterisation and capturing the drama and desperate endeavour and honouring the courage of both sides.
It also deserves recognition for making a star of Michael Caine!
I've been a fan of this film ever since I first saw it on the big screen in 1964. I've seen it so many times that I can more or less recite the dialogue - yet whenever it's shown on TV I can't resist switching over to watch a scene or two - kinky or what? Heaven preserve us from any remake!

One of the greatest adventure films of all time
Review date: 2007-11-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

Zulu is one of those films that left an indelible impression of the unique power cinema can have on those of us who saw it on the big screen as children. Intellectually and emotionally other films may have the advantage over it, but as a purely cinematic experience Zulu is unbeatable.

Siege epics were curiously popular in the Sixties - 55 Days at Peking, El Cid, Khartoum, The War Lord, The Alamo among them - but perhaps none have quite such a hold on the public's affections as Zulu, particularly in the UK. It's a celebration of national courage (but not nationalism) with its eyes wide open. The besieged men aren't there to build empires but because it's their job - "Because we're 'ere. There's no-one else," as Nigel Green's memorable Colour-Sergeant puts it to a young soldier.

It's a film with dignity on both sides of the conflict but no self-importance, it manages to extol heroism without glorifying war. It's also one of the few films to show the sheer physical arduousness of prolonged battle - it ends not with triumph and jubilation but with sheer exhaustion.

The narrative construction is deliberate and belongs to the days when films built up to a climax instead of throwing them in every ten minutes to keep the audience awake. John Prebble and Cy Endfield's script is strong, its subtle clash of egos between Stanley Baker and Michael Caine never over-emphasised and surrounded by memorable vignettes among the rank-and-file that gives the film a depth beyond the superbly handled battle scenes - Nigel Green struggling to maintain his composure as he takes the final depleted roll call, drunken missionary Jack Hawkins' truly irritating Bible-bashing unnerving a young private, Neil McCarthy's concern for a sick calf taking precedence over the ongoing battle.

Co-producer Baker was never to get (or give himself) so good an opportunity in a mainstream movie again, and nor were Endfield and Prebble (the three had previously collaborated on the terrific 1957 thriller Hell Drivers). Mention in despatches to Green and Gert Van Den Bergh as a Boer fighting alongside the Welsh too among a splendid cast from the days when you could still fill a regiment with memorable British character actors.

John Barry's epic score perfectly sums up the heroism and bloody turmoil without lapsing into jingoistic cliches, while Stephen Dade's superlative photography benefits from a good widescreen transfer (that said, the first appearance of the Zulus loses some of its impact even on a large widescreen TV).

Definitely one to add to your collection, but there's not enough in the way of new special features on this new 2-disc edition to give it a whole-hearted recommendation for upgrading from the single-disc version if you already have it (the best of them is the featurette on John Barry's score, but it's quite short). For first-time buyers, though, it's definitely a must.

Always, always a classic... BUT
Review date: 2007-11-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

...on this release I wish the commentary track had more Sheldon Hall and less Robert Porter, because although I respect Mr Porter and his technical acheivements greatly, some of his historical observations and comments are either incorrect or misleading (at least as far as I understand the facts), and Sheldon Hall seems to be too polite to correct him, which is a great shame.

But the film? Priceless, as always. Buy it.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Michael Caine
Stanley Baker

Creators:
Michael Caine (Primary Contributor)
Stanley Baker (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437917430
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, Collector's Edition, Colour, PAL,
Release date: 2007-11-05
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 133 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1964
Language: English (Original Language)

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