IMDb RATING
6.6/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
A dramatization of the Battle of Isandlwana, where the British Army met its match against the Zulu nation.A dramatization of the Battle of Isandlwana, where the British Army met its match against the Zulu nation.A dramatization of the Battle of Isandlwana, where the British Army met its match against the Zulu nation.
- Awards
- 1 win
David Bradley
- Pte. Williams
- (as Dai Bradley)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBurt Lancaster, who pulls off an Irish burr, was reportedly "tone deaf" when it came to accents. Lancaster also was challenged by having to learn how to do things like ride a horse with only one arm.
- GoofsAs the column crosses the river, two native bearers carry an ammunition box, which should be quite heavy. They stumble in the current, dropping the box, which bounces to the surface and starts to float off. The box should have sunk.
- Quotes
Zulu messenger: I bring greetings from your friends the British and from the great Lord Chelmsford.
Ceteseyo: And what do your masters say?
Zulu messenger: They are angry and send these demands. They say that you rule in old ways that are wrong; that you kill your people without trial. The Great White Queen herself cannot kill her lowliest subject, though she rules forty lands, each greater than all of Zululand.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: One hundred years ago the British Colony of Natal in Southern Africa was surrounded by a vast and independent Zulu Kingdom.
In 1879, a battle took place that was forever to alter the course of Colonial history: ISANDHLWANA
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Zulu Wars 1879 (2002)
- SoundtracksMen of Harlech
(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard when the troops depart for Zululand
Featured review
Works Better As A history Lesson Than A Film
ZULU DAWN lives in the shadow of ZULU . That's hardly surprising because ZULU is the much better film , however unlike the 1964 film DAWN does stick to historical accuracy . The British are portrayed rightly as being overconfident , arrogant and foppish and it's this hubristic attitude that has lost wars when a superpower looks down its nose at the fighting capabilities of a backward third world nation . The British almost repeated the same mistakes during the Boar war , and the French and Americans done it in south east Asia , and the red army did it in Afghanistan.
DAWN does chronicle in great depth the mistakes made at the battle of Isandlwana: Chelmsford split his forces , the army didn't reinforce the perimeter , they were spread too thinly , and the method of supplying ammo was totally flawed , but it's this that spoils the film , there is too much emphasis of what happened to cause this defeat . Despite having an all star cast ( Two of which won Oscars and a couple more who have been nominated ) there's little character focus and you care little for the people involved . The film would have worked much better if it concentrated on just Chelmsford and Bob Hoskins gruff Sgt Major instead of the many characters who drift in and out of the picture
ZULU DAWN isn't a complete waste of time though , despite the long wait the battle scenes are handled well ( But not as good as ZULU ) and like ZULU it shows that a lot of brave men died on both sides
Update March 2008 . Recent historical evidence suggests that ZULU DAWN is fairly inaccurate especially where mass ranks , or the lack of them are concerned . But still knowing what historians knew in 1979 it's still a serious attempt to portray the battle accurately at the time
DAWN does chronicle in great depth the mistakes made at the battle of Isandlwana: Chelmsford split his forces , the army didn't reinforce the perimeter , they were spread too thinly , and the method of supplying ammo was totally flawed , but it's this that spoils the film , there is too much emphasis of what happened to cause this defeat . Despite having an all star cast ( Two of which won Oscars and a couple more who have been nominated ) there's little character focus and you care little for the people involved . The film would have worked much better if it concentrated on just Chelmsford and Bob Hoskins gruff Sgt Major instead of the many characters who drift in and out of the picture
ZULU DAWN isn't a complete waste of time though , despite the long wait the battle scenes are handled well ( But not as good as ZULU ) and like ZULU it shows that a lot of brave men died on both sides
Update March 2008 . Recent historical evidence suggests that ZULU DAWN is fairly inaccurate especially where mass ranks , or the lack of them are concerned . But still knowing what historians knew in 1979 it's still a serious attempt to portray the battle accurately at the time
helpful•165
- Theo Robertson
- May 18, 2002
- How long is Zulu Dawn?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content