A towering cinematic achievement. An astonishing true story. And "a battle film in the grand tradition of Four Feathers and Gunga Din" (Time)! Filmed against the exotic locales of Africa and starring Stanley Baker (The Guns of Navarone), Jack Hawkins (Lawrence of Arabia) and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Michael Caine (in his first major motion picture role), Zulu is a thrilling account of one of history's fiercest battles! As a terrifying war chant echoes across the majestic African plains, 4000 Zulu tribesmen rise up from the tall grassthat hides them. Furiously beating their swords against their shields, the warriors descend upon a small garrison of English soldiers. "Usuto! Usuto! (Kill! Kill!)," they cry as they launch into a battle with the vastly outnumbered English militia who must manifest incredible skill and incomparable bravery just to survive. *1999: Supporting Actor, The Cider House Rules; 1986: Supporting Actor, Hannah and Her Sisters
"Sentries have come in from the hill, sir.... They report Zulus to the southeast. Thousands of them." One of the best pure action movies ever made, this rousing adventure recounts the true story of a small 18th-century regiment of British troops (including a very blue-blooded turn by a young Michael Caine) endlessly besieged by an seemingly unceasing number of fierce attackers. Although the basic premise has since been executed with more technical skill and panache (most notably by Aliens and Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans), it's unlikely that anything will ever top the utter spectacle and, above all, sheer unbelievable size of the combat scenes that almost wholly comprise the last half of this film. A gloriously exhilarating essential for anyone looking to get lost in the heat of cinematic battle, topped off with a healthy dose of gallows humor. Not to be missed. Richard Burton voiced the stirring narration. Zulu was followed by a slightly dry but still recommended prequel, Zulu Dawn. --Andrew Wright
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Amazing!:
I've seen this movie countless times, I'm even old enough to remember seeing it in the theater when it was first released. It is a magnificent piece of cinema and, in my humble opinion, the greatest movie ever made. The acting, the driving music, the suspense, the action, this movie has it all and if you watch this on a big screen television you will have the feeling of being in the mix of the defenders. Regardless of the quality of the DVD, the movie is well worth watching. And as soon as a high-quality... more info
Already a classic by now...Rorke's Drift 1/1 wargame!... and a true epic!:
Probably wargame is a bad description... this is an epic classic film to be treated with due respect... NO REMAKE UP TO NOW means IT WAS RIGHT ON THE SPOT!,
but been a wargamer myself and having painted a lot of Zulus and 24th south wales borderers figures in 25mm... it rapidly comes to mind!
Once digested I AM INTERESTED IN THIS PARTICULAR MILITARY ACTION! 1) You can analyze the movie (after all that is why you are reading this?) and it starts a bit slow... builds tension... and the second... more info
May 2003 MGM release: Excellent anamorphic transfer to DVD:
I almost did not purchase a DVD of "Zulu" based on the mostly negative comments (by other Amazon reviewers) regarding the quality of the video and sound transfer to DVD. Well, I took a chance--and wow! The transfer to DVD is excellent! The format is anamorphic widescreen, enhanced for 16 x 9 large-screen, high-definition TVs. My comments are based on the Region 1, May 2003 DVD release by MGM. The DVD cover artwork is a painting (not a photo) that shows a likeness of Michael Caine in his British uniform.... more info
Stunning - every time you see it:
I still remember the first time I saw this film and sat riveted to the TV. Everytime I see it again I think I'll be watching it for some favorite scenes, only to be - yep - still riveted to the TV. There are so many good actors in good roles with well-written scenes, so well directed and filmed that it would be pointless to try to list them. The film works on many levels, including an accurate depiction of the actual battle, a peek at a culture that has disappeared in its aboriginal form, filmmaking as... more info
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Zulu Dawn from Tango Entertainment (DVD) - Usually ships in 24 hours
