Great Movie --> no questions asked

Rating: 7/10 (3 September 2005)

This movie was recently replayed on HBO Asia and it shows the bravery of the English Soldiers being outnumbered 40:1 by enemy Zulus, who (in the movies as well as in history) had just slaughtered a unit of 1.500 Soldiers just before. The movies shows a cast of "british Allstars" the likes of Stanley Baker, Trevor Howard, Michael Caine still in his early days and familiar faces like John Booth and others. It is impressive, well-crafted, gripping and futile. Definitely a masterpiece of British Film documenting a heroic past long gone. However, the question the film (and none of the actors even in greatest desperation) does not ask is, what in all the world did they do there ? Defending Great Britain, the Empire, Queen Victoria ?? What was their business killing the local people, be they hostile or not ? Possible too much to ask to early for a Film of 1964. I would hope, such questions would be raised in a remake, if it ever to come. Nevertheless 7 of 10 for the "pure" artistic merit th movie definitely has.