IMDb > Shaka Zulu (1987)

Shaka Zulu (1987) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   415 votes
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Director:
William C. Faure
Writer:
Joshua Sinclair (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Shaka Zulu on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Action | Biography more
Tagline:
The Most Savage Warrior of All Time!
Plot:
The true story of the life and rise to power of Shaka, the greatest Zulu leader in history. Starting from his birth... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
A great . . . and awful man more (4 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Edward Fox ... Lt. Francis Farewell
Robert Powell ... Dr. Henry Fynn
Trevor Howard ... Lord Charles Somerset
Fiona Fullerton ... Elizabeth Farewell

Christopher Lee ... Lord Bathurst
Henry Cele ... Shaka
Dudu Mkhize ... Nandi
Roy Dotrice ... King George IV
Gordon Jackson ... Prof. Bramston
Kenneth Griffith ... Zacharias Abrahams
Conrad Magwaza ... Senzagkona
Patrick Ndlovu ... Mudli
Roland Mqwebu ... Ngomane
Gugu Nxumalo ... Mkabayi
Tu Nokwe ... Pampata
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
USA:300 min
Country:
Australia | Italy | South Africa | West Germany | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Company:
Harmony Gold more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Based on 'Joshua Sinclair (I)''s own novel "Shaka Zulu", itself based on the oral tradition of the Zulu people. more
Movie Connections:
Edited from "Shaka Zulu" (1986) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
A great . . . and awful man, 29 March 2002
Author: wrsgold from New York

The Story is told based in the writings of Edward Fox's character, an adventurer named Francis George Farewell. Therefore, the more savage side of his nature is undubitably exaggerated.

To the best of our knowledge the salient points are correct, even to Henry Cele sharing the same basic build as Shaka, both of them quite imposing. There is some European romanticism tossed in, but it should be must viewing for anyone who loves history. Pooh-poohed by some critics as preposterous (as was Ghost in the Darkness, also an essentially true story), it is no more amazing than Napoleon's rise from obscurity to absolute power. They parallel in so many ways, in fact, that Shaka is oft called the "Napoleon of Africa". Though many Zulus consider Napoleon the "Shaka of Europe"

The production was fraught with controversy (it was filmed in South Africa before sanctions were lifted) but tries to convey a complex and fascinating story set in a tribal Africa steeped in mysticism with ideas about life and death that were very different from Europe. It manages to convey those ideas, and Shaka's formidible intellect, quite well. On top of that, it has as its star the perfect actor for the part.

Highly recommended and worth the time it takes to view it.

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