Zulu (film) - Definition and Overview

Movie Poster for Zulu

Zulu is a 1964 Anglo-American film depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift between the colonial British and the Zulus. The film was directed by Cy Endfield and starred Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins and Michael Caine. The film is essentially of the Western movie genre, but located in South Africa with the traditional roles of the United States and Native Americans taken by the British and the Zulus respectively.

Tagline: Dwarfing The Mightiest! Towering Over The Greatest!

The Battle of Rorke's Drift was part of the Anglo-Zulu War, where 150 British redcoats held off 5,000 Zulu warriors. Eleven Victoria Crosses were won in the action, the most in a single battle, thus ensuring its place in British military history.

The film contains a number of factual errors, including:

• The 24th Regiment of Foot is described as a Welsh regiment: in fact, although based in Brecon, its designation was the 2nd Warwickshire Regiment, it became the South Wales Borderers in 1881.
• The song Men of Harlech features prominently as the regimental song; it didn't become so until later.
• Private Henry Hook VC is depicted as a rogue: in fact he was a model soldier.
• The role of Reverend "Ammunition" Smith is completely overlooked.
• In truth, the command and defence of Rorke's Drift was in actual fact taken by Acting Assistant Commisary James Langley Dalton. His distinction was ignored until several years after the battle and the credit was given to Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead. Both did little in the real battle.

In 2004 the magazine Total Film named Zulu the 37th greatest British film of all time.

A prequel entitled Zulu Dawn was made in 1979, depicting the Battle of Isandlwana that occurred previously to the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

External links

• Zulu (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777/) at the Internet Movie Database