Zulu (1964) - A Tale of Bravery

 

     Sir Philip Sidney has suggested how poets are able to bridge the gap between the historian and the philosopher, creating a medium where the audience can better associate the essential elements of history while understanding the consequences of the actions on a deeper level. Now if you would watch the film Zulu (1964) you’d probably realize the great amount of effort and heart went into crafting the film, that strikes a perfect balance between its history and message conveyed.

The link for the film on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/NVokKq2CdO4?si=5B2lAYTlbiwu2QEg

 

     To give a brief introduction to the film, it is a depiction of a real-life battle that happened in the year 1879. The Zulu warriors have overpowered the colonial British forces and a small regiment of 140 men has found refuge in a nearby station run by a missionary and his daughter. It is learnt that an army of four thousand Zulu warriors are coming their way. Unable to leave the wounded and abandoned by the cavalry forces, the regiment decides to hold their ground despite the lack of manpower. As the army of Zululand attacks the station, the men set up defensive positions desperately trying to protect their station. Although they possess rifles, they are no match for the thousands of brave Zulu warriors. However as the battle rages on men from both sides suffer great loses, until the Zulu army withdraws from battle. Eleven men are awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry.

 

      Now on the broader side of the history, although the Zulu army had the initial victory, they were defeated at the Roark's Drift battle. In Parliament upon the downfall of his government, British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, asked the question: “Who are these Zulus, who are these remarkable people who defeat our generals, convert our bishops and who on this day have put an end to a great dynasty?”

 

     As I said in the beginning, a delicate subject like this should be carefully executed in such a way that the Zulu warriors are not portrayed as savages nor should the bravery of the British soldiers be understated. In the midst of this, the film also has the herculean task of not getting too swayed with the gore of the battle itself, to give an honest and believable depiction of the war too. And guess what, it does all this in a way you wouldn’t even notice!

 

    It was a quite fascinating dive into the military tactics used by both the armies. For instance, we have the first wave of Zulu warriors voluntarily sacrificing their lives so as to evaluate the firepower and manpower of the British forces housed at the station. However for me, what really caught my attention the volley fire technique used by the British forces effectively suppressing an overwhelming force of the enemy.

 

    The film also effortlessly depicts the conflicts amongst the higher-ranking officers, the resolution and the violent nature of the battle. The Zulu army has been represented with due respect giving attention to their cultures, traditions and battle practices. The Zulu leader was even played by the grandson of the leader who led their forces in 1879!

 

   The film, Zulu is one that I would definitely recommend. Its magnificent acting performances Stanley Baker and a young Michael Caine, with lots of memorable moments gives it scope for multiple rewatches.

Give it a try and let me know your thoughts dear reader!

Until next time…

Lan