Zulu Dawn | 
| Actor: Burt Lancaster; Peter O'toole; Sir John Mills; Bob Hoskins
Studio: Tango Entertainment
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $8.95
You Save: $11.03 (55%)
New (8) Used (2) from $8.95
Rating:  66 reviews
Sales Rank: 2041
Format: Color, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Zulu (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: DTE1018D
ISBN: 159837026X
UPC: 844628010184
EAN: 9781598370263
ASIN: B0009UVCR6
Theatrical Release Date: May 15, 1979
Release Date: September 27, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New !! In The Original Shrink-Wrap!! Ships first class. Order from a trusted seller.
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Cy Endfield co-wrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives, with the British contingent outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another, and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land nonetheless is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift which followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks
Description
A prequel to the war epic "Zulu", this dramatic story recounts the breathtaking defeat of British forces at the hands of a 25,000 strong and relentlessly determined Zulu army in 1870. The all-star cast, and extravagant production quality make Zulu Dawn a spectacular film with a guaranteed place in the list of Hollywood Greats.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 61 more reviews...
Zulu Dawn Flawed, But Good March 4, 2005
Roger Kennedy
118 out of 140 found this review helpful
This is a decent movie which attempts to cover its subject well. The anti-British bias of the movie hurts its accuracy. For one, the Zulu Kingdom was not some innocent, put upon people. Shaku Zulu had spend years creating a brutal tribal kingdom that was under his complete control. His seccessors were no less brutal. King Catayweo may have been marginal less dictatorial than Shaku, but only by degrees. Despite this flaw, the movie is still worthwhile. Peter O'Tool lays it on thick by making Lord Chelmsford look the arrogant fool. This was not quite the case. Burt Lancaster does a nice job as Durnsford, and Simon Ward is great as the young gent recruit in the native horse.
The battle scene at Ishlandwana is impressive, but totally accurate. For one thing the British firepower kept the Zulus pinned for quite a while. The movie shows them charging forward ever invincible. Only when the Britsh fire slackend were they able to surge forward and break the line. The movie does not show this. Also the Zulu prisoners reporting the British position back to the main impi is pure fantasy! This never happened and is another attempt by the movie to make the British look cruel and stupid! There are some other flaws, but to me these are the most serious ones. The production quality is first-rate, and the attention to the flow of historical events is well done, if a little confusing sometimes. Those not familar with the campaign may have some problems following. Although portrayed as one of the most serious defeats ever in British military history this is also an exaggeration. The Zulu campaign was a embarrassment in some ways for the British, and also an un-wanted conflict, but the ultimate result was a crushing British victory a few weeks later under Chelmsford. A floawed movie, but worthwhile.
 Great Entertainment, well made fascinating story line February 27, 2006
Stuart Gardner (Fair Lawn, NJ)
53 out of 61 found this review helpful
It's suprising so many comments are tailoured on the accuracy of the film rather than the entertainment value. This is an exciting film, with a good plot, good acting and is more entertaining to watch than most new releases.
The battle scenes are spectacular.
If the film were 100 percent accurate it would be unwatchable. One of the outcomes of this battle was that boy soldiers (<16) could not be sent on similar expeditions - to prevent similar mutilation and torture. The basic message that the British screwed up as a result of poor leadership is accurate. When European soldiers and settlers encountered Zulus from fortified positions (even circled wagons) the results were mass slaughter of Zulu warriors.
As a Brit I don't mind addmitting that British (and Dutch)settlers were "not nice" to native people. Hollywood has produced more inaccurate movies than this (e.g. Brave Heart and Mel Gibson's War of Inndependence movie).
The US Army made similar mistakes with Native Americans, who opposed the manifest destiny of expansion. Is there an accurate Hollywood treatment of Custers last stand?
This is a good well made movie that is entertaining and broadly speaking accurate.
Disaster at Isandhlwana December 19, 2000
Tyson D. Rahmeier (Roswell, GA USA)
42 out of 49 found this review helpful
ZULU DAWN is a superb companion film to the classic ZULU, particularly since both films were written by the same man, Cy Enfield. ZULU DAWN climaxes with the Battle of Isandhlwana, which immediately preceded the Battle of Rorke's Drift, accurately portrayed in ZULU. While the Battle of Isandhlana is important, the real significance of ZULU DAWN lies in its revelation of how the British governor of South Africa orchestrated the war against the Zulu. Moreover, the British governor, Sir Henry Bartle-Frere, acted against the wishes of Queen Victoria and Parliament, resulting in the bloody defeat and near annihilation of the British 24th Regiment of Foot at Isandhlwana. The arrogance and carelessness of the British is shocking and the humiliating defeat of the British army in South Africa strikes the viewer as completely justified. The fact that good copies of ZULU are hard to find is pitiful enough, but the unavailability of ZULU DAWN is a real tragedy. It's extremely difficult to rent; it's been out of print so long that most recent video rental establishments have never been able to acquire it. I myself have only encountered two copies for sale ever, and I bought both of them (one went to my uncle, who turned me on to ZULU DAWN in the first place). Keep an eye out for ZULU DAWN in used video stores and exchange shops.
Soldiers of the Queen November 16, 2001
39 out of 39 found this review helpful
If you get this video and the other epic relating to this same time (Zulu) you'll know all about the British and Zulu war in Africa. This film, Zulu Dawn, tells the story of the debacle at Islandhwana where spear-carrying Zulus badly mauled British rifles and effected the greatest defeat of so-called natives on British arms. It sticks pretty close to the actual history of the engagement. The action is the star, but big names appear throughout. John Mills, Peter O'Toole, Burt Lancaster. A first-rate job of filmaking if you like military action and stories of the Thin Red Line of Britain's heyday as a colonial power.
To get the full picture you might also want to get "Zulu", mentioned above, starring Stanley Baker and introducing a very young Michael Caine. This is more along the lines of Gunga Din and portrays the true heroism of the British (Welsh really) at Rorke's Drift, a subsidiry action to the events of Zulu Dawn. Again with considerable historical accuracy. Both films are British made and together make a nice balanced commentary on England's shortcomings and successes in the Zulu War.
 Enjoyable film marred by a poor transfer April 24, 2006
Bill Allcorn
28 out of 29 found this review helpful
I'll leave it to others to comment on the film itself, but I do want to warn potential purchasers that the DVD transfer leaves a lot to be desired. The original film is 2.35:1; the DVD is 16:9 letter boxed (not anamorphic)so about a third of the film is missing and it is clearly obvious in quite a few scenes. The quality of the transfer itself, while not awful, is not particularly good either.
|
|
|
