Zulu
Zulu is a 1964 British epic war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. It shows how 150 British soldiers, 30 of whom were sick and wounded patients in a field hospital, successfully held off a force of 4,000 Zulu warriors. The film is notable for showing the Zulu army as disciplined and governed by strategy.
Plot
In 1879, a communiqué from Lord Chelmsford to the Secretary of State for War in London (voice-over narration by Richard Burton) details the crushing defeat of a British force at the hands of the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana. In the aftermath of the battle, the victorious Zulus walk amongst the scattered bodies of dead British soldiers and gather their rifles. At a mass Zulu marriage ceremony witnessed by missionary Otto Witt (Jack Hawkins) and his daughter (Ulla Jacobsson), Zulu King Cetewayo (Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi) is also informed of the great victory.
More details
| author | Cy Endfield |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | South Africa |
| director | Cy Endfield |
| editor | John Jympson |
| genre | adventure historical |
| keywords | 24th regiment of foot across the border all round defence battle of isandlwana battle of rorke\'s drift british army british soldier chief mangosuthu buthelezi colony of natal defensive perimeter fight gonville bromhead hardtack henry hook impi john chard lock up maize martini-henry mealie men of harlech missionary morning natal natal native contingent oscarberg redoubt rifle rorke\'s drift royal engineers secretary of state secretary of state for war ship\'s biscuit sing test victoria cross voice-over wagon wounded soldier zulu kingdom zululand |
| musicBy | John Barry |
| producer | Stanley Baker |
| productionCompany | Diamond Films |
| publisher | Embassy Pictures Paramount Pictures |
| recordedAt | South Africa |
| theme | epic war |