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Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:25 pm

After a while, I decided that i needed to just view ZULU DAWN again on the widescreen dvd release on the Mosaic label. The film is presented in 16:9 anamorphic, but I hasten to add that once the title sequence is finished the film is slightly panned and scanned in which the black bars disappear and we have appeared to have zoomed into the picture a little, therefore making the whole film rather grainey, especially on the close ups and darker sequences. That said, generally I thought the film was better than I had remembered it. On looking at the IMDB and reading users comments, I was intrigued to see that many people thought the filnm was a spectacle and completely underrated. Also of note was a piece written by someone who was on the production crew, if you like defending the critics points of view, by laying blame on production going well over budget, due to a certain Peter O Toole amongst other reasons. A further review mentioned about the films music, by Elmer Bernstein, in which it says about the music being too 'up' and happy, whereas the events that are unfolding on the screen are that of epic doom and gloom as the British are losing a war. I thought the music let the film down ever so, which is a shame because Elmer Bernstein has written many a fine film score. Generally the set pieces play well, although you never feel that you know the characters too well, and the ZULU army is depicted at a great distance and with distain slightly. The film also seems to end to quickly, there's no explanation to what has infolded, no opinions, just a close up of Peter O Tooles' face. Certain parts of the film reminded me of WATERLOO (1970) particularly the opening sequences at Natal where the British army are based, with the party atmosphere, much like the Waterloo Waltz scene in the aformentioned. Similar accents and comments by the officers. Similar too, are the actual battle scenes. What the viewer does take away from the film is that the defeat is perhaps to do with lack of ammunition, and not getting it filtered through to the front line, as well as perhaps splitting the British army in which Chelmsford goes off in the wrong direction. Overall I enjoyed the film, its nice to see real battle scenes and not cgi like you get in todays movies, it really does look authentic, and it has a sense of realism to it. Good to see such a fine cast also. where are all these actors now? Simon Ward for example, Michael Jayston, Ronald Pickup to name but a few. Okay then, will it ever get to Blu ray? That I doubt, but one of these fine days it will get shown on a big screen again, and remastered, and at some point it will grow in status, and a whole new generation of movie goers will enjoy seeing it for the first time and thinking
about the actual Zulu wars, then going to the history books to find out what it was all about....and I bet it will get remade....by the Americans.
Last note: Perhaps a nod towards Chard by name at Rorke's Drift would have been a nice touch.....I would have thought Cy would have insisted!

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:22 pm

Leigh

I'm pleased to see that someone else likes it for what it is, rather than disliking it for what it isn't !

The music, as you say, doesn't quite live up to the subject, although the nice piece which introduces Durnford's arrival at the parade ground is okay.

My attention was brought to 'Mars' (the Bringer Of War) by Gustav Holst a couple of years ago, which might have given the more dramatic feeling to what was happening on the big screen.

I've been watching it even more regularly, since getting a 32" Flatscreen, which is like viewing it for the first time, properly. Never having seen it at the cinema.

Even though I'm more 'in the know' about the battle at Isandlwana, I still have the ability to watch it, ignoring its faults, in much the same way as I saw it many years ago for the first time, well before I took an interest in the Zulu War.

I do hope they release a more polished version, but that said, did you read the other topic about the French version, which apparently is of greater quality ?

It was gotten by someone from the French amazon, but I've never bought anything from outside the U.K., so can't give more details.

If you happen to get this version, could you please give a review here ?

Thankyou.

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