Dec 22 2007
Zulu Special Edition DVD
If it seems strange to review a film more than 40 years old, this is the recently relleased special edition DVD. This was arguably the finest British war film ever made, or any war film come to that. The story of the defence of mission station Rorke’s Drift in Natal, South Africa, during the Angl Zulu war in 1879.
The film made no attempt to tell the full story of the war, and how British forces invaded Zululand, stripping the country of it’s independence, depriving the King of his throne, then dividing the country into fragments, and leaving it to civil war and later Apartheid. Some people misinterpreted the film as being about Imperialist images, the thin red line holding back the Zulu savage. In reality, the film conveyed very well that, far from heroism, the British soldiers were fighting for their lives because they were put in this postion, and had no other choice. 
Drakensburg mountain range, location of filming Zulu.
Like the best war films, Zulu was an anti war film. It was often said the best recruitment officer at that time was Jack Frost and unemployment. The Rorkes Drift battle was in fact of no real strategic importance to the war, and was used as propaganda by the British to partially cover up for the disasterous defeat the same day at Ishandlwana. Why else would 11 VC’s have been awarded, more than any other single engagement.
War memorium, in the shadow of Ishandlwana.
The culture of the Zulu nation was focused on in the film, not as just savage warriors, though the ferocity of the warriors did indeed come accross. At the end, emotions expressed were that of tragic waste. But the reality for the Zulu nation was to be far worse.
The special features disc features the Zulu music track, and how composer John Barry was inspired by the Zulu chants and songs for write the main theme. There follows a making of documentary, which highlights some interesting facts, some little known;
- Cetawayo was played by chief Buthelezi.
- Buthelezi’s wife was Great Granddaughter of Cetawayo
- Private Henry Hook was in fact a model soldier.
- James Booth, who played Hook, never travelled to Natal. His part was filmed in Twickenham studios.
- The Zulu extras had never seen films prior to this. They were sent Laurel and Hardy to get the idea!
- Zulu extras numbered no more than a few hundred.
- To create the feeling of overwhelming numbers director Cy Enfield used shields on the ground with plumes on top to look like warriors.
The DVD is in widescreen format, aspect ratio 2.35:1, with Dolby Digital surround sound. This emphasises what for me was a major plus for this film, the chanting of the warriors against the Welsh vocals among the soldiers, most of whom were portraying the South Wales Borders.
Oh, you like old movies, too? I don’t like war pics , but I do love ‘gone with the wind’. And by the way, India, is really a country that boggles the mind, colorful yet drab, you can see people shitting by the roadside and it’s dusty, dirty but really you have to experience it!
There’s an old saying, they don’t make them like they used to, regarding films! Of course, films such as this are not to everyones taste, but the whole Zulu culture and history has always been a fascination for me.
I hear many contrasting opinions on India, some say it will haunt you forever, others never want to go back…It is something to experience, rather than just to see I gather..
Thanks for stopping by Footiam.
I saw you ventured on over to my horse racing blog the other day so I decided to stop in and low and behold you are reviewing a DVD of my favorite movie of all time!!!!
Zulu has to be considered one of the most amazing war movies ever made. WHen I was a child back in the 80’s I actually rented the movie so many times from our local video store that the clerks there thought it was some hot new release and actually got there hands on the movie poster and had it hanging with all the other new movies.
There’s a great book on the making of the movie called something like “with some guts behind it” if memory serves.
Definitely a much better picture than the prequel - Zulu Dawn, which I think suffered from too large a scope compared to the small action at Rorke’s Drift.
A couple of other tidbits I thought I’d share. Some of this I’ve gleaned from viewing the rorke’s drift vc website/forum, and some others were pulled from Mike Snook’s “How Can Man Die Better” and “Like Wolves on the Fold” about Isandhlwana and Rorke’s Drift.
- If you see a picture of Henry Hook - it looks like he has a part in the middle of his hair. This is actually an assegai wound suffered in the hospital at Rorke’s Drift.
- When Fred Hitch died later in life, he was a cab driver in London and the entire town shut down (although this was more likely due to a strike by cab drivers at the time than any signifigance with Hitch.
- “Dutchey” Schiess of the NMP died wile at sea just a few years later and his body was tossed overboard. His remains are at the bottom somewhere.
- Snook makes the case for a “12th VC’ who was killed in the hospital after bayonetting/shooting scores of zulu. Apparently his body was rather brutally butchered purportedly within site of some of the brits. I don’t have my sources with me but I think this was yet another man with the last name “Williams” that was in the hospital.
- contrary to the portrayal in the film, nearly all of the firing from behind the mealie bag walls was done “at will” rather than in volley style - their simply wasn’t enough time to order and execute volley fire - especially in the dark.
- Ardendorf may actually have been one of the first men to flee the field at Isandhlwana.
Thanks very much for your comments Kevin! I think Zulu Dawn was more historically accurate, and a good film too. But the ferocity of the warriors came over better in Zulu. Also the characters were perhaps better in Zulu, in terms of making the audience care about them.
Your facts are very interesting. I visited the museum in Brecon some years ago, some great memorabelia there, including smashed ammunition boxes from Ishandlwana, as though the soldiers could not get them open fast enough.
Some more facts about Rorkes Drift; The Zulu attack was led by Cetawayo’s Brother, Dabulamanzi, and it was strictly against the Kings wishes to cross the border.
This was the right horn of the Zulu force at Ishandlwana, their main commander was the crack general Zibbebhu, Cetawayo’s cousin, perhaps the Zulu’s best general, and leader of the scouts for the campaign. Zibbebhu incured a minor injury as the Zulu chased the British away from Ishandlwana battlefield, so did not press on to Rorke’s Drift. Interesting to speculate how the battle might have fared if Zibbebhu had in fact still been in command..History may well have been so different, because Dabulamanzi was not general, his command was down to his social standing.
If you’re interested in the subject Kevin, you may well want to read the book “The Washing of the Spears” by Donald Morris, the true story of the rise and fall of the Zulu nation. In my opinion, the greatest book ever written on the subject.
If you’re a fan of the Morris book, you may not like the Snook book, as Snook basically takes him to task on a number of the “myths” that have been woven into the accepted history of the fight over the ages.
Regarding the ammunition boxes, I know that controversy has been around for years and even guys like Horace Smith-Dorien who survived mentioned it, but you may be surprised to know that the Snook book blows this myth of the battle apart. Snook is able to show that ammunition wasn’t the reason the firing line was compromised - that was owed to the fact that Durnford withdrew without communicating with Paulleine what his intentions were. This caused Charlie Pople and G Company to be totally outflanked by the Uve regiment, which precipitated the withdraw of the firing line proper.
What Snook demonstrates is that if the English were having ammo problems at the firing line, then we ought to expect to find the body clusters of the 1/24th companies out in the field, but instead we find them concentrated around the camp itself, which suggests they were able to fall back as much as 1000 yards in the face of zulu pressure - which then could only have been accomplished with access to ammo (if by bayonet alone they would have died from exhaustion).
Snook also blows apart some of Morris’ conclusions in Washing of the Spears. I still encourage folks to read that book, I just also encourage them to open their minds that certain things that were written as gospel in that book cannot be believed today in light of new evidence. Morris book and the historical telling of the battle had the english rifle companies basically being easily overwhelmed. The forensic evidence of the field (i.e., the distance the companies retreated in order to their respective “last stands” among the tent line) as well as the zulu side of the story tell something altogether different - of a sustained and desparate struggle that lasted far longer than we originally thought possible.
The Snook book is a wonderful step-by step chronological breakdown of how each individual company went down. Suffice to say that a statue of Charlie Younghusband, killed leading a “last defiant bayonet charge” into the right horn, needs to be erected somewhere.
oops - Reggie Younghusband.
I can’t actually remember too well that Morris subscribed to the theory of the ammunition boxes. I only recall that book as related to the Zulu side, mostly the latter part of their empire collapse.
I myself never did believe it, and always tended to think mostly, the British collapse was down to the reason you mention. Much credit also has to go to the Zulu generals for keeping 25,000 warriors movements effectively concealed, possibly the Zulu’s greatest feat of the whole war.
What is overlooked at times was the Zulu victory at Ishandlwana also effectively sealed their ultimate defeat. Partly because they were never going to be as seriously under estimated again, moreover it enabled Chelsford to get his wish for more reinforcements for the second invasion. Cetawayo was not able to replace his lost warriors like Chelmsford was, also could not afford to keep his army in the field indefinitely for economic reasons.
I wonder if any films will be made on the other engagements of the war, Kambula for instance…