simply marvellous

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2010)

Afilm that has stood the test of time.The thin red line,standing firm against overwhelming odds.Awar movie set at the peak of the British empire.The film starts with scenes of a beaten British army at Isandhlwana then tells the story of the heroic battle of Rorke's drift.The soldiers at the drift here the news that the Zulu's are on the way to attack them,whilst preparations for the defence of the drift gather pace,we are introduced to various characters.The tension builds up nicely,especially with the noise of the Zulus getting closer and closer.The British class system raises its head along with internal politics all of which is done entertainingly.The heroes include Stanley Baker as the working class hero in charge of the drift,Michael Caine as the upper class toff who finds his true character in battle,James Booth the anti hero.The cast is good with two very good performance from Nigel Green and Patrick Magee, TV viewers will spot a few faces who made it on various programmes.The only disappointment is the Jack Hawkins character,although based on a real person just doesn't seem to belong to this film.The film empathises,s the physical effects of battle and treats the Zulus fairly.The film is criticised for not being accurate but at the end of the day its an entertainment not a documentary