Zulu Collection

Burt Lancaster

Simon Ward

Denholm Elliott

Peter Vaughan

James Faulkner

Christopher Cazenove

Bob Hoskins

David Bradley

Paul Copley

Donald Pickering

Nicholas Clay

Phil Daniels

Ian Yule

Peter J. Elliott

Brian O'Shaughnessy

Jan Bruyns

Sydney Chama

Len Sparrowhawk

Peter O'Toole

Nigel Davenport

Michael Jayston

Ronald Pickup

Ronald Lacey

Don Leonard

Patrick Mynhardt

Christopher Chittell

Simon Sabela

Ken Gampu

Gilbert Tjabane

Abe Temba

Muntu Ndebele

Paul Mafela

John Mills

Freddie Jones

Anna Calder-Marshall

Kenneth Baker

Claire Marshall

Vivienne Drummond

Graham Armitage

Terrick Fitzhugh

Ross Kettle

Michael Richard

Larry Taylor

Ashley Waldorf

Cy Endfield

Anthony Story

Elmer Bernstein

Nate Kohn

Douglas Hickox

Malcolm Cooke

Ousama Rawi

Robin O'Donoghue

Don Sharpe

Terry Sharratt

Gerry Humphreys

Peter MacDonald

Robin Gregory

David Tomblin

Colin Polson

John Buckley

Peter Williams

Dieter Nobbe

Barrie Saint Clair

Colin Arthur

Irene Lamb

John Rosewarne

Adventure

Drama

History

Zulu Dawn

Lamitas

Samarkand

Zulu Dawn NV

Netherlands

United States of America

South Africa

CinemaSerf

Though certainly epic in cinematographic terms, this is a really meandering and over-cast depiction of the Zulu defeat of the British garrison at Isandlwana at the end of the 19th century. I'm assuming it was made as a precursor of - and to capitalise upon - the far superior "Zulu" (1964) but right from the get-go it's just wordy and ponderous and, well, lacklustre. Peter O'Toole does exude a certain arrogance in his role as the Commander of the army (Lord Chelmsford) but Burt Lancaster - and his distinctly ropey accent - as "Col. Durnford", features all too sparingly to offer much more than a casual dig at the incompetencies of his boss as the Zulu and the soldiers of the Queen square up. This cast list is impressive but none of the assembled stars of stage and screen are really used to any great effect. History tells us what happens next, and the colourful action scenes are well put together with enthusiastic efforts from the Zulu themselves delivering well staged combat scenes. Sadly, though, we have to wait far too long for these to rescue this from the doldrums of colourful but procedural cinema that offers us little to nourish either our interest in the characters or in the colonial and ambitious politics of the region that prevailed at the time. Underwhelming, sorry!

isiZulu

English

ZULU DAWN Film Trailer - (1979)