Zulu

Zulu (1964)

Runtime: 138 minutes

Directed by: Cy Enfield

Starring: Stanley Baker, Michael Caine, James Booth, Nigel Green, Paul Daneman

From: Paramount

Yet another good recommendation from a Letterboxd mutual. A comment on my review for The Guns of Navarone suggested that I check this out; as it’s free for me on YouTube (as a Premium member. I use that platform so often to view various channels that aren’t movies, not seeing any ad is worth it) I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to see The Battle of Rorke’s Drift on film.

This war film is based on an actual incident in 1879 South Africa, where around 150 British troops defended an encampment against several thousand Zulu warriors. The whole “colonialism in Africa” thing won’t be addressed by me. While the perspective was from the British, they sometimes were presented in a negative light and the Zulu warriors were put over for being such badasses that can run 50 miles to a battle then win it. Because the movie slows down at key points to have the warriors stand there and be intimidating or stand there and sing, they were made to be strong opposition. The first hour introduced the main players as the viewers got to know them. The rest was the siege and the soldiers’ attempt to defy the odds.

The storytelling is about what you’d expect… the commanding officers sometimes bicker w/ each other, a cowardly character who feigns injury later does heroic acts, etc. Notwithstanding, it was all done quite well. The direction, the way the rural South African countryside was filmed, all the combat that never felt repetitive, the staging, the rousing John Barry score, etc. Arguably the most important detail: this was the first big movie role for none other than Michael Caine… and was the second-most important character. He hit a bullseye so no wonder he had a successful career that literally just ended recently.

The film is 138 minutes but I never lost interest in this war picture. As I’ve known of The Battle of Rorke’s Drift from reading about it years ago, this viewing was long overdue.