What's that noise? It's a rifle Hughes, and if you're ill, you should be in bed

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2005)

I must take issue with gazzer's comments: although there were English soldiers at Rourke's drift it was an overwhelmingly Welsh regiment. I also suspect that he doesn't get the amusement British audiences still get today when they're reading the register at the end and he reads out the names of 10 different men called Williams-a very Welsh name! However, he is absolutely right. The film is a brilliant portrayal of a battle in which none of the men expecting to live, fighting in a foreign land none of them wanted to be in. It's no coincidence that Hook (Peter Booth) is so resentful-in the 19th century it was not uncommon for common criminals to escape the hangman's noose (or prison) by enlisting in the army and serving the empire abroad. 4000 native soldiers fighting for their land and right, against 100 or so British (and swiss!) soldiers fighting for their lives. It is a fitting tribute that they received so many VC's (Victoria Cross-Britain's highest military medal for those who have shown a ridiculous amount of bravery when the odds of death are 90%), including to the reluctant Hook, who rescued so many injured troops from the hospital when it caught fire and was over run with Zulus.
It is a film that any fan of the period, or of Britain's imperial history and every schoolboy in Britain should watch. A tale of bravery above all else.