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Date	Original Topic
3rd June 2002	monty python zulu war By Alex Rossiter did or has anyone seen monty pythons the meaning of life ,it features about a 5 minute zulu war clip althouge the battle sequence looks like a mix between rorkes drift and isandlwana alll the uniforms and equitment look relistic for example tea colures stained helmets ,wagons etc ,it is surprising that that this small scene looks like a proper zulu war film.
Date	Replies
12th June 2002	Scott Plummer I remember the very funny Zulu War sequence in "The Meaning of Life" but do not really think it would be a highly accurate source ! I do recall noting that the officers were wearing blue patrol jackets which seemed more "accurate".... remembering a statement in Donald Morris's "The Washing of the Spears" that Smith-Dorrien believed he survived the flight from Isandhlwana because of this uniform. Morris notes that all five imperial officers who escaped were wearing dark tunics. This is because Cetshwayo instructed his impi to focus on "red coats". Is this a myth or can anyone else confirm this? Back to Monty Python, I have read there was some dispute when making the Zulu sequence and many of the extras quit in protest so that the British outnumbered the Zulus ! Kim Johnson in his "The First 20 Years of Monty Python" writes that the sequence was filmed in Scotland with black extras from Glasgow. When they heard that they had to wear loin cloths and charge up a cold Scottish hill many refused. Johnson also quotes Michael Palin saying that many white actors had to be "blacked up" to complete the scene. I had not noticed this and I am not sure if this is a little leg pull on Palin's part. The Zulu Charge scene is hardly flattering to the British officer class but I love the portrayl of the upper class twits wandering around oblivious to the carnage around them ( not that this occured at Isandhlwana ! ) I particularly enjoy the interchange where Terry Jones as a dishevelled, exhausted and bloodied sergeant is trying to explain to the officer ( Cleese ) the state of the battle. Cleese abruptly interrupts saying he has a much more serious problem, namely the health of another officer, so the sergeant must meekly apologise for bothering the officer with such "irrelevant" details. A nice dig at class attitudes.Graeme Chapman playing a military surgeon as the local,friendly,calming GP is also a delight. Look out for a wounded soldier thanking Cleese for noticing his "wound" (only the soldier's head is left ! ) and Eric Idle's barbed ( but not very subtle ) comment on different attitudes to violence if committed on the "glorious" battlefield ( one can debate the motives of Britain in their aggressive imperial invasion of Zululand ) as opposed to at home.