Zulu

Cy Endfield, UK, 1964, 135 minutes

Zulu was made in 1964 when `epic' meant just that. You got blazing action along with unforgettable displays of bravery, courage and honour, features that seem to be missing from cinema of late. The incredible thing about Zulu is that although it contains all these long forgotten elements it has barely dated at all. The set pieces, particularly those in the burning hospital building and on the perimeter walls of the isolated outpost, are as exciting as any war/action film of the last decade.

The premise is simple and was based on historical events. In 1879, 4,000 Zulus went on a rampage and massacred 1,300 British troops at Isandlwhana, then went on the warpath. The film centres around the efforts of the 24th Regiment of Foot of the South Wales Borderers to hold their position at a small outpost at Rourke's Drift. But what chance do 140 soldiers, only 97 of whom are `fit for duty' stand against the savage Zulus in their thousands?

Caught up in all this is Lieutenant John Chad (Stanley Baker), the outsider who only came to build a bridge at Rourke's Drift, but finds leadership thrust upon him when his entire regiment are wiped out in his absence. Also present is the young Lieutenant Granville Bromhead (Micheal Caine in his first major screen part), the aristocrat with no combat experience who has to learn the true meaning of honour, and its price.

The tension is built up in the first hour as the regiment and the audience wait for the inevitable. It is helped by the rugged landscape of Natal in South Africa and by John Barry's (of James Bond fame) menacing musical score.

The antics and ultimately heroics of the charmingly roguish Private Henry Hook (James Booth) are hard to forget and the banter of the two Private Jones' is equally memorable. In fact, director Cy Endfield has filled the film with memorable moments, including the final stand as the handful of remaining soldiers desperately try to hold off the hordes of Zulus.

Zulu is truly a classic of British cinema as those that have already seen it will know. Those that haven't seen it yet are guaranteed to enjoy this timeless romp:

`Sentries have come in from the hill sir... They report Zulus to the south-east. Thousands of them.'

Review by Gordon Johnston
Taken from EUFS Programme 1997-98