Aba

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2004)

Aba(a spoiler here) means soldier in Zulu. When I first saw Zulu it was 1976 (On "The Great Entertainment," a long past but wonderful Boston program hosted by Frank Avruch) during a rainstorm. There is a sort of understatement to this film that makes it all appealing. Underneath all of the seeming banality leading up to the Zulu approach to Rorke's Drift, the impending danger is palatable. Blood and guts in film has a diminishing effect when it is perpetual: Zulu captivates for the opposite reason of no gore. In the real battle the Welsh/Brits must have fought as utter savages. What else I enjoyed about Zulu is how vignettes are stressed versus the surrounding battle. The Zulus are depicted honorable and brave warriors no doubt.