Zulu Dawn (1979)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Douglas Hickox

Writers:

Cy Endfield (original story and scenario)
Cy Endfield (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 May 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The sun dawned bloodied...two great armies met face to face...and the earth trembled to the sound of the Zulu death chant!

Plot:

In 1879, the British suffer a great loss at the Battle of Isandlwana due to incompetent leadership. Despite the defeat, the Zulus are first humiliated at Roark's Drift and then crushed at the Battle of Ulundi. |

Plot Keywords:

Battle | Zulu | Defeat | Violence | Sequel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Col. Anthony Durnford
Simon Ward	...	Lt. William Vereker
Denholm Elliott	...	Colonel Pulleine
Peter Vaughan	...	Q.S.M. Bloomfield
James Faulkner	...	Lt. Melvill
Christopher Cazenove	...	Lt. Coghill
Bob Hoskins	...	C.S.M. Williams
David Bradley	...	Pte. Williams (as Dai Bradley)
Paul Copley	...	Cpl. Storey
Donald Pickering	...	Maj. Russell R.A.
Nicholas Clay	...	Lt. Raw
Phil Daniels	...	Boy Pullen
Ian Yule	...	Cpl. Fields
Peter J. Elliott	...	Sentry
Brian O'Shaughnessy	...	Maj. Smith R.A. (as Brian O'Shaunnessy)

Runtime:

UK:115 min | USA:98 min | USA:113 min

Country:

USA | South Africa | Netherlands

Language:

English | Zulu

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company:

Lamitas

Trivia:

Ronald Lacey replaced John Hurt.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Colonel Pulleine writes his last letter in his tent, he is holding the pen in his left hand. The shot switches to a view over his shoulder, and the pen is now in his right hand. Then as a Zulu bursts into the tent, Pulleine drops the pen from his left hand again to grab a revolver.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sir Henry Bartle Frere: [proofreading aloud the ultimatum he has just drafted] Cetshwayo's Zulu army to disband and the warriors permitted to return to their homes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Old-fashioned, but good

I like "Zulu Dawn," but maybe for strange reasons. I'm glad that it favors plot over characterization, and I appreciate its attention to detail and tactics. Too many modern war movies ignore tactics, and don't place battles in their proper contexts. Here, it's easy to follow exactly what's happening, and why.

What makes the film especially memorable is that it's the story of a military disaster - the biggest defeat of a "modern" army at the hands of a "primitive" one (though I believe the Zulus suffered higher casualties than the British did). The script pretty much telegraphs the battle's result from the beginning; Peter O'Toole, as the British commander, is clearly too stubborn and blind to danger, so the attentive viewer should realize fast that he's heading for a fall.

The ending is somewhat misleading, though. The final caption might suggest to some viewers that the Zulus won the whole war. Sadly, they were beaten pretty rapidly and suffered some hideous defeats. I guess that's what makes this initial Zulu victory so noteworthy - almost unbelievable, really.

As is often the case in war movies, "Zulu Dawn" features big-name actors playing real soldiers. This makes it easier to tell the somewhat thin characters apart. Though nobody gives a career-best performance, it's great to see O'Toole, Burt Lancaster, Bob Hoskins and a solid cast of British character actors together in one movie.

I don't suppose they'd ever make this today. The politics are too awkward; I don't think a modern audience would have much sympathy for the British or the Zulu. And, of course, contemporary movies have rejected old-time spectacle, electing to replace sweeping landscapes and huge crowds of extras with fake-looking CGI.

But, in this case, old-fashioned is good. "Zulu Dawn" is definitely worth checking out in budget DVD form.