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Zulu is directed by Cy Endfield and stars Michael Caine
(The Italian Job), Jack Hawkins (Ben-Hur), Stanley Baker
and James Booth. John Barry (James Bond series) composed
the musical score. The film was first released in 1964.
***
Before moving on with the review, a few notes about
the release. First and foremost, this is an IMPORT release
and is not available in American stores. Secondly, it is
a REGION FREE release. In other words, it will work just
fine in your American Blu-Ray player. ***
Zulu is the true story of a group of British soldiers
in Africa in 1879. In their compound, they quickly find
themselves surrounded and severely outnumbered by the indigenous
soldiers of the Zulu tribe. Against impossible odds, these
soldiers must stand their ground and hold out against an
enemy that, while less sophisticated and proficient with
weaponry, greatly outnumbers them. And if things weren’t
already bad enough for the British soldiers, the Zulus prove
themselves to be far better tacticians in a battle than
anyone could ever have predicted. ***
Zulu is a terrific epic film that, while maybe not
quite as popular as similar epics from the era, is no less
excellent. The film has more depth than meets the eye and
a truly epic battle in his now-classic second half. Not
to mention some damn good actors, performances, direction
and cinematography. ***
The crew of Zulu bring this story to life in top form.
The cinematography is one of the most beautiful of the era,
showcasing both the gorgeous, natural scenery and the gritty,
violent battle scenes alike. Director Cy Endfield keeps
the film moving along at a brisk pace, and while the film
runs over 2 hours in length, no time feels wasted in the
long run. ***
And on the other end of the camera we have the legendary
cast. One of the true stand-outs here is Michael Caine in
his first major film role (he had played lesser roles in
films for years prior), playing one of the soldiers who
must stand his ground against impossible odds. Also worth
mentioning is Jack Hawkins (you may remember him best as
Quintus Arrius in the 1959 version of Ben-Hur) as a missionary
in the camp. Hawkins steals the show in every scene he appears
in, trying to tell the men that killing and going to war
is a sin. He wants nothing but peace, as a higher power
intended. One of the great things about his performance
is that it’s hard to argue with his character’s words, and
throughout you’ll find yourself torn between what he preaches
and the battlefield actions our heroes are forced to take.
***
Zulu doesn’t feel as dated as some other epics of the
era, largely due to its slightly more subtle message about
British Imperialism on the African continent. Sure, the
soldiers are defending themselves and fighting for their
lives, but it’s hard not to be sympathetic toward the other
side of the conflict, who were rightfully there first –
and Endfield makes them all the more sympathetic by using
the first part of the film to show just how underdeveloped
and tribal they are as a culture. ***
If I have one minor complaint about the film, it is
that the first 45 minutes or so tend to drag. This time
was obviously intended to introduce us to the British soldiers
throughout the camp – but there are so many soldiers with
so many different situations and stories that it is difficult
to cram them and all their stories into a film of this length.
As such, it definitely stands as a movie your opinion of
will improve with upon subsequent viewings. ***
Zulu is a great film and one of the last true “epics.”
Everything comes together nicely, and cast and crew alike
make for an excellent film that has more than stood the
test of time. It’s a must-see movie that maintains a strong
message nearly half a century after its initial release.
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Image and Sound: If you’re one of those people who
think Blu-Ray can’t provide any benefit to an older film,
you obviously haven’t seen Zulu on the format. This is a
damn fine transfer from Paramount that shows just how good
a classic movie can look when it gets the proper treatment
for a 1080p release. It has been painstakingly mastered,
and there is little to no dirt or damage on the print to
speak of. I noticed some reviewers have been quick to misjudge
this transfer as a DNR disaster, but I beg to differ. There
are some minor signs of the process here and there, but
it was kept to a rightful minimum and what little was used
does a lot more good than bad. Through the film, the image
is bright, clear and colorful. Detail is strong in nearly
every setting and in facial close-ups. The audio track sounds
superb as well, suffering from no major anomalies whatsoever
and really coming to life in scenes of action.
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