Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Purely Joyful Movie!

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Many find it incongruous that Bromhead, an infantry officer in charge of a company of trained infantrymen, should hand over command of the position to Chard, an engineer.The reason for this was simple: Officer training at the time meant that engineer officers were given more extensive training in infantry tactics than were the well-healed sons who bought their commissions in the infantry. While the former spent much of their officer training honing their skills at infantry tactics (essential for one who would be required to build defences, roads, breastworks etc.), officers like Bromhead were sitting around their club, out hunting, or riding at the head of a parade or display on Hyde Park. Aside from being severely deaf and likely to be more of a danger to his own troops than to the enemy, Bromhead wisely sought and took the counsel of the more experienced (Chard was a veteran of several conflicts) and competent colleague. The absolutely correct decision in retrospect.

It's a very accurate depiction of those events, but possibly veers too much to the official line of the time. What happened there was incredible bravery on both sides, but proved what the Boers had learned long ago. Concentrated firepower within a fortified position can stop far superior numbers of less well armed assailants. Everyone there deserved a Victoria cross, but those awarded were basically due to a thankful government following the debacle of Isandlwala the day before. I love both films, but I'd rate Zulu Dawn as slightly better.

When "Zulu" opened in Sydney in 1964 it had one of those big premieres that military epics received back then: searchlights, red carpet, a band and guests wearing medals. Shortly after, I took my brother to see it. "Zulu" ticked all the boxes for us.From Richard Burton's opening narration to his listing of the names of the Victoria Cross winners at the end, we were rapt.As well as the battle, those bare-breasted Zulu girls did not go unappreciated by a couple of young lads. You didn't see a lot of that sort of thing on the screen in those days. The filmmakers obviously got away with it under the old National Geographic Magazine rule of it's OK if it's the natural attire of the culture, it didn't stop them being hot though.The film still stands up even if the censorship of the day kept it relatively bloodless. Demonstrations show what a round from a Martini Henry rifle can do to a watermelon, no doubt it would have had the same spectacular effect on a human head. An assegai in the belly would not be as clinical as depicted in the movie either. But the best bits of the film were often the tense scenes waiting for things to happen and the one where the men drown out the Zulu chant with "Men of Harlech". I haven't a drop of Welsh blood, but that scene always puts a lump in my throat.The film is classy. Breathtaking photography, terrific performances from top to bottom and an awesome score by John Barry; music to perform heroics by.The film was a hit in Australia, but something unexpected happened not long after. In 1966, D Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment found itself surrounded by up to 2000 Viet Cong in a rubber plantation at Long Tan in South Vietnam. There were 108 of them, about the same number as the 24th Regiment at Rorke's Drift. They held off attack after attack. Instead of mealie bags they brought down artillery fire, but the fighting was at close quarters as they held their perimeter. By the time help arrived, 18 of them were dead (17 at Rorke's Drift) while the enemy lay dead in the hundreds. Controversially, there were no Victoria Crosses although more than one was earned. Years later, the company commander likened the battle to Rorke's Drift. But I wonder if while the battle was on, did it flash through the minds of the blokes who had seen the movie that what they saw depicted on the screen they were now experiencing for real?Would anyone make a film like "Zulu" today? Possibly it would be just too un-PC. Most battles on the screen these days are fought vicariously through intergalactic stormtroopers or by the denizens of "Game of Thrones".However, historical rights and wrongs aside, I still think "Zulu" rocks; it's simply an exceptional piece of filmmaking.

The Plot:Two Lieutenants, Chard of Engineers and Bromhead find that their 140 man contingent in Natal has been isolated by the destruction of the main British Army column and that 4,000 Zulu warriors will descend on them in hours. Each has a different military background in tactics and they are immediately in conflict on how to prepare for the attack. Nearly a third of the men are in the infirmary, as the welsh company tries to somehow survive with no help in sight. Based on a true story.The first half of this film is boring beyond belief. Then there's a brief fight scene. Then it gets really boring again. Then there's a really boring fight scene with lots of talking.Getting the picture? This is a movie that looks good (technicolor) and the scenery is spectacular, but Jesus, the story is a borefest.