DVDs

Zulu

Region 1

Region 4

By Richard Moore

The British defence of the mission station at Rorke’s Drift in South Africa in 1879 is one of the great feats of soldiering in history. Some 110 redcoats faced up to attacks by some 4000 Zulu warriors and somehow managed to survive.

The victors were awarded 11 Victoria Crosses – the highest number of that prestigious medal given for one action – and their battle has gone down in history as an example of courage against overwhelming odds.

For mine, Zulu is one of the great war movies and is an exceptionally well-paced film.

It begins with a slowish intro to all the characters – which adds to your involvement with them - and then winds itself up into a frenetic finale that will have you breathless.

Sir Stanley Baker, who also co-produced the movie, plays Lieutenant John Chard, an engineers officer sent to build a bridge.

A very young Michael Caine plays Lieutnant Gonville Bromhead, the arrogant officer of the Welsh-dominated 24th Regiment of foot, and there are a huge number of actors in the support roles you will know very well.

Jack Hawkins plays a Swedish missionary, James Booth a troublesome private, Glynn Edwards another redcoat, Nigel Green a colour-sergeant, Ivor Emmanuel a private and Patrick Magee the regimental surgeon Reynolds. The evocative narration is superbly voiced by Sir Richard Burton.

Having focused on the British, it is fair to say that Zulu is very even-handed when showing the impis of the king Cetewayo (played by Chief Buthelezi) and their unrelenting courage in the face of rifles.

As said, once Zulu gets going it never lets up and while some of the acting in some of the battle scenes looks a little forced it is worth remembering that until the cast and crew arrived the Zulus used in the movie had never seen a film and that the bayonets and spears used were real, so they had to be a little circumspect when waving them about.

However, to dwell on the occasional lapse would be too harsh as this is ripper viewing and I have seen it 100 times if once.

The Zulu charges are awe-inspiring (even from the couch) and how so few British managed to win through is almost too-hard-to-believe.

The highlight for many who love Zulu is the stirring rendition of Men of Harlech given in answer to the Zulu war songs as the defence reaches its climax.

Now while Zulu is a superb movie, the DVD transfer is decidedly ordinary. In fact it borders on woeful. The colour is great – then it should be with blue skies and contrasting red jackets – but boy are there artifacts and shimmers and even wobbles galore. You will never see as much aliasing in a movie as you do in this effort from Paramount.

Whoever ok-ed this transfer should get a size-10 boot up the backside as it does detract from the gorgeous imagery.

Still, it’s in my home library and I will be watching it at least another 100 times.

Conclusion: Movie 85% Extras 60%