See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Ready to Buy?
media_mogul...
Price: £1.88
In stock
findprice
Price: £4.99
In stock
30 used & new from £1.77
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979]
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979]

DVD ~ Burt Lancaster
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


18 new from £1.88 12 used from £1.77
Learn about Lovefilm
Amazon's choice for DVD rental.
With a 14 day FREE trial. Learn more

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979]
67% buy the item featured on this page:
Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979] 3.0 out of 5 stars (20)
Zulu [Blu-ray] [1964]
10% buy
Zulu [Blu-ray] [1964] 4.7 out of 5 stars (73)
£11.98
Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979]
10% buy
Zulu Dawn [DVD] [1979] 2.5 out of 5 stars (6)
£9.98
Zulu (2 Disc Special Edition) [1964] [DVD]
8% buy
Zulu (2 Disc Special Edition) [1964] [DVD] 4.7 out of 5 stars (9)
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Actors: Burt Lancaster, Simon Ward, Denholm Elliott, Peter Vaughan, James Faulkner
  • Directors: Douglas Hickox
  • Writers: Anthony Story, Cy Endfield
  • Producers: James Faulkner, Barrie Saint Clair, Dieter Nobbe, Nate Kohn
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English, Zulu
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: Mosaic Movies
  • DVD Release Date: 5 Jan 2004
  • Run Time: 112 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00013KCM2
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 7,208 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in these categories:

    #18 in  DVD > Action & Adventure > Historical
    #62 in  DVD > Drama > Historical

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Cy Endfield cowrote 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

DVD Description
This dramatic and true story recounts the breathtaking defeat of British Forces at the hands of a 24,000 strong and relentlessly determined Zulu army in 1879.

See all Reviews

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Zulu (2 Disc Special Edition) [1964] [DVD]

Zulu (2 Disc Special Edition) [1964] [DVD]

DVD ~ Michael Caine
4.7 out of 5 stars (9) 
Zulu [Blu-ray] [1964]

Zulu [Blu-ray] [1964]

DVD ~ Michael Caine
4.7 out of 5 stars (73)  £11.98
The Zulu Wars 1879 [DVD]

The Zulu Wars 1879 [DVD]

DVD ~ Robert Powell
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £7.38
Waterloo [DVD] [1970]

Waterloo [DVD] [1970]

DVD ~ Rod Steiger
4.2 out of 5 stars (24) 
Shaka Zulu [1986] [DVD]

Shaka Zulu [1986] [DVD]

DVD ~ Edward Fox
4.7 out of 5 stars (15)  £8.98
› Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(4)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 13 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 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 (South Africa) - See all my reviews
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A historic disaster on a disastrous DVD, 8 Nov 2006
By Trevor Willsmer (London, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
"One Zulu is only one man, and I'm afeared of no one man. But the Zulu, they come in the thousands, like a black wave of death in the thousands."

Zulu Dawn isn't in the Zulu league, but if you're interested in the period and can overlook a few historical errors, it's a good addition to that curious subgenre of British epics celebrating their humiliating military defeats. In its determination to set some of the colonial myths straight that it does tend to overlook the Zulus' own imperial ambitions, divided leadership and tactical stupidity, but it's well staged with an exceptionally strong cast of familiar British faces and a wildly miscast Burt Lancaster offering one of the screens worst Oirish accents. The battle's a long time coming, but is worth the wait, and the film is genuinely spectacular, with director Douglas Hickox pulling off a particularly impressive river crossing sequence to the accompaniment of Elmer Bernstein's stirring score. However, if you don't get off on troop deployments and crowd scenes of colourfully clad British soldiers on the veldt, you'll probably find it heavy going.

Sadly, as others have noted, this is a very shoddy DVD - cropped from its original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio to 1.85:1 and with an inferior sound mix (the theatrical release prints had an excellent stereo soundtrack) and no real extras to speak of despite plenty being available. A very poor show indeed. It's worth noting, however, that the French PAL disc not only boasts a good transfer in the original 2.35:1 ratio with removeable French subtitles but also includes the theatrical trailer and is well worth seeking out from Amazon.fr.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Rifles and spears in conflict., 3 Dec 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Zulu Dawn [VHS] [1963] (VHS Tape)
The film Zulu Dawn has often suffered in comparison to its predecessor Zulu which is unfortunate for Zulu Dawn is an excellent film in its own right.
It boasts a stellar cast,strong characterisation,stunning scenery and it sticks closely to historical fact.
It tells the true story of the battle of Isandhlwana which was fought prior to Rorkes Drift (on which the 1963 film Zulu was based).As the film progresses one sympathises with the Zulus who are on the receiving end of the scramble for Africa and the rank and file privates in the army who must have wondered why they were in South Africa in the first place.

The battle scenes are carefully staged and although the first half of the film is slow the story is carefully crafted to give a real sense of history.
The scenes of the Officers dining with servants and silver service while a few miles away over 1000 British troops are been massacred is particularly well done .
In conclusion I feel the real power of the film is the fact that it is a true historical event and the soldiers who fought and died thousands of miles from their home are shown as real heroes to the shame of the politicians and diplomats who sent them there.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Movie
This is a great movie depicting the battle of Isandlwana where the British and colonial army was slaughtered by the Zulu impis in Jan 1879. Read more
Published 27 days ago by AJ

4.0 out of 5 stars Zulu Dawn.
This is effectively a prequel to the earlier film Zulu, but while it is filmed against a lush backdrop, it does not compare particularly well with its predecessor. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Hardy

2.0 out of 5 stars A Botched Opportunity
Zulu Dawn (Dir: Douglas Hickox, 1979) is a sadly typical example of the degree to which a British story can become distorted due to the need to secure American finance - and with... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Oliver Twist

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and spectacular history lesson.
Original film Zulu tells of the bravery of the 100 or so men who defended Rorkes Drift. Zulu Dawn tells the story of the complete disaster that preceded it. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Red Rose

4.0 out of 5 stars A good solid film
For just 99p, this was a true bargain. Not expecting much due to the price and with a lot to live up to because of Zulu (1964), I was surprised to find myself captivated... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. L. A. J. Wells

4.0 out of 5 stars MORE RELEVANT NOW
eleased in a badly cut version in 1979 just before the resurgent interest in Burt Lancaster for his performance in "Atlantic City and Peter O'Toole for "Stunt Man", this fine... Read more
Published 23 months ago by stuart

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very good...

The title of the review says it all really!

I'm an enthusiast of the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 and have read alot of material on the subject and can safely say... Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2007 by Karma

2.0 out of 5 stars inferior offering.
a rather disappointing follow-up to the classic "zulu."
this particular version based upon the zulu war, is slowly paced with many scenes of tedium, and yet the running... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2006 by Mr. A. E. Ward Davies

2.0 out of 5 stars Worth a watch
This film is certainly worth watching, but not buying. The cast is excellent - although a number of them seem a little past their best. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars How did we fail
The title is a comment for both the events the film Zulu Dawn depicts and the film itself. Made as a prequel to the magnificent Zulu, the production had mega bucks thrown at it... Read more
Published on 16 Oct 2004 by Peter Morrison

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

›Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (75)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (84)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates