pure British vintage cinema

Rating: Null/10 (31 August 2004)

Vintage tale of the attack by 4,000 Zulus on a small British outpost in 1870s Natal. Stars Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins and Michael Caine

"Zulus, sir. Thousands of them..." Well, 4,000 to be precise, and all of them heading towards a character-actor-packed stockade at Rourke's Drift, with their spear-points glinting in the sun. Anxiously awaiting them is small regiment of Wales' finest (less than 150 in fact), keeping the British imperial end up in south African back-country, in 1879.

Endfield's lavish paean to British pluck has become as much a part of the bank holiday as wet weather and vomiting up your Easter egg, so it's hard not to feel well-disposed towards it, despite its struggles with the clichÃ©s of heroism and flatulent length.
Director Cy Enfield (The Sound Of Fury, Mysterious Island) was among the fimmakers blacklisted by the HUAC in the 50s. He emigrated to Britain, where he made Zulu, his biggest hit. As for the actors, Baker (who also produced and personally put funding into the film) is the dignified officer, Caine (in his first starring role) his sour lieutenant, Booth the weak link in the chain of command who ultimately proves his mettle. The Zulus play themselves. And they're good.