Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Reviews
Brand New & Factory Sealed. Region 2 PAL (UK & Europe). IMPORTANT: This is the official Czech release. The front cover is exactly as pictured and the back cover has Czech text. The film itself has optional Czech sound & subtitles on/off. ORIGINAL ENGLISH SOUNDTRACK - GUARANTEED > > > > > 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 - the British contingent was 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 none the less 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 that followed soon after, "Zulu Dawn" is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Zulu with Stanley Baker and Michael Caine is one of my favourite films, and I think some make the mistake of judging Zulu Dawn against Zulu. Though they are about the battles with the Zulu on the same day, they should not be judged against the other, but used as companion pieces. Zulu was the story of a small band on British Soldiers, barely 100, who held out against over 4000 Zulu warriors. It is a more personal film, looking at the triumph for Chard and Bromhead against such odds. At the start of Zulu, you see the Zulu walking through the British dead. That is the aftermath of Zulu Dawn. Zulu Dawn is much less person, more sweeping in statement and scope.
Cy Enfield co-wrote Zulu Dawn with Anthony Story, some 15 years after Zulu,(Enfield half of the Baker-Enfield team that produced ZULU - and interesting to note Anthony Story was the biographer of Stanley Baker), depict the British Colonialism 'Little England' policy and arrogance that contributed to the downfall of the British troops left on the face of Ishlandlwana in January 1879, the greatest defeat of a modern army by natives. Chelmsford, played perfectly by Peter O'Toole, made the first mistake: divided his forces in the face of the enemy, especially when he had no idea where the enemy was. Secondly, the same arrogance left them to camp nearly 1500 and native levees on the open slope of Isandhlwana without forming any sort of defencive works for protection, despite warnings. They ignored Boer sightings of Zulu in the Valley just beyond, because Chelmsford had it set in his mind they were at Ulundi. The stupid rationing of bullets, the way the quartermaster passed them out, saw the unprotected Brits left without any means of defending themselves.
Zulu Dawn is more depressing, because it shows the whole loss of life was so futile, but the film is a beautiful tribute to the soldier of Queen Victoria's Wars, warts, arrogance, stiff upperlip, valour and all.
Utterly mesmerising, deeply moving.
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent portrayal of Brits in their first battle of the Anglo Zulu Wars
17 Aug 2006
By Mboytiman
Format:DVD
The film is excellent for the atmosphere it creates at what it must have been like with 20 odd thousand Zulu's coming at you in full force.
The Zulu battle tactic of the 'horns of a bullalo' are not explained at all in the movie,the fact that the entire camp was surrounded and swallowed up in less than an hour and that it was a total eclipse of the sun on that day, which is important to the Zulu's. As a rule the Zulu's never fight on such a day, but were forced to as their army's whereabouts was discovered.
Melville was given the colours to save on his own. Not as shown in the film.He met Coghill at the Buffalo river, Having crossed the river, they were killed as Coghill was helping Melville climb up the river bank on the far side. Also Durnford stayed with and died with his men, not as shown standing alone on a wagon.Go to rorkesdriftvc for an excellent write up on the battle.
There is an excellent audio cd by David Rattray on the Anglo Zulu Wars, called 'The Day of the Dead Moon' that are a must for those interested.
The Zulu battle tactic of the 'horns of a bullalo' are not explained at all in the movie,the fact that the entire camp was surrounded and swallowed up in less than an hour and that it was a total eclipse of the sun on that day, which is important to the Zulu's. As a rule the Zulu's never fight on such a day, but were forced to as their army's whereabouts was discovered.
Melville was given the colours to save on his own. Not as shown in the film.He met Coghill at the Buffalo river, Having crossed the river, they were killed as Coghill was helping Melville climb up the river bank on the far side. Also Durnford stayed with and died with his men, not as shown standing alone on a wagon.Go to rorkesdriftvc for an excellent write up on the battle.
There is an excellent audio cd by David Rattray on the Anglo Zulu Wars, called 'The Day of the Dead Moon' that are a must for those interested.
38 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By Robert
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've just compared this dvd briefly to the perfect edition in France by a label called Opening. On this UK dvd by Arrow Films, there is poor sound with crackling right through the film. A bit like being at a cinema back in the 70's! On the dvd by Opening in France, the sound and picture are perfect, no crackling and a slightly sharper picture with English audio (and optional French audio too). I'm returning this dvd to amazon shortly. Buy the dvd from France, the best in the world!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars for the french version
The UK release picture quality is dreadful as many as said on here but I did go on amazon.fr and found the French version of Zulu Dawn (L'ultime Attaoue) and the picture is... Read more
Published 15 days ago by gary john king
5.0 out of 5 stars
zulu
a good film too zulu . a good well known cast i like adventure films of this kind based on true events in Africa history
Published 1 month ago by nottsnorm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good movie but worst DVD ever seen
In times of digital formats (DVD, blu-ray) a transfer like this is not acceptable ever more.
Never saw such a bad picture quality on DVD
Even old VHS movies on old TVs... Read more
Never saw such a bad picture quality on DVD
Even old VHS movies on old TVs... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Heiko Petersen
4.0 out of 5 stars
A classic.
This shows the British Army, warts and all. Mistakes were made but true heroism showed through.
A worthwhile, gritty performance.
A worthwhile, gritty performance.
Published 1 month ago by sharonus40
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not a bad little movie
The only reason for buying this (and also the DVD of "Zulu") was because I am going on a visit to the battlefields of Kwazulu Natal and I wanted a little help understanding... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Can't Stop Reading
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a prequel!
'Zulu dawn' is one of the best films I have ever watched and is very well directed and presented. It is the prequel to 'Zulu' and talks about the mascre of 1000 British troops. Read more
Published 2 months ago by alex
4.0 out of 5 stars
Zulu Dawn [Blu-ray] [1979] [US Import]
First of all this disc is region free and will play in the UK. I watched this film originally roughly about 15 years ago on VHS and I did enjoy it then. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stuart C
5.0 out of 5 stars
'A GOOD COMMANDER WOULD NOT SPLIT HIS FORCE ?
the film is a prequel to the 1964 classic 'zulu' though filmed some
15 years later.
the governor of british colony 'natal' declares war on the 'zulu' nation
after a... Read more
15 years later.
the governor of british colony 'natal' declares war on the 'zulu' nation
after a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by rbmusicman
5.0 out of 5 stars
FUSTRATED
because being one of my favourite films not being release on blue ray region b2 in the uk yet......... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. White R. Gwyn
1.0 out of 5 stars
Zulu Dawn DVD (Arrow Films)
This review is for the Arrow Film DVD release of Zulu Dawn. Original movie released in 2.35:1 aspect ratio yet this DVD is 4:3 aspect ratio. Read more
Published 2 months ago by David S. Graham
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
