Zulu Dawn (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1979)

I'll leave it to others to comment on the film itself, but I do want to warn potential purchasers that the DVD transfer leaves a lot to be desired. The original film is 2.35:1; the DVD is 16:9 letter boxed (not anamorphic)so about a third of the film is missing and it is clearly obvious in quite a few scenes. The quality of the transfer itself, while not awful, is not particularly good either.

I highly recommend this movie to all war or history buffs.This movie is based on the true story of the Battle of Isandlwana in south Africa .The battle was fought on Jan. 22nd 1879 between the 24th regiment under the command of Lt.Gen. Lord Chelmsford and the Zulu nation under King Cetshwayo. To make a long story short, The Zulus crushed and wiped out the entire British regiment largely in part because they outnumbered the British 24,000 to about 1,500, but also due to British arrogance(Which is pointed out time and time again in this movie)and the lack of respect and where abouts of the enemy.An allstar cast including Peter O'toole and Burt Lancaster Star in this Classic. The only Bad thing about this movie is that it is no longer in print, which to me is a real travesty, considering all the garbage that was made that still is in print. In fact i had to buy this movie off an online auction. I hope that the Movie Company that made this Great film comes to it's senses and Redistributes this movie so that it can be enjoyed on DVD as well.

Buy Zulu Dawn (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1979) Now

This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I've been waiting ever since the invention of DVD for it to appear. The VHS version I had was by some two-bit Canadian company and it hissed so badly you could barely understand the dialogue. When I saw that the DVD was going to be released I jumped with joy and I had to keep myself from running to the mailbox (like the dork that I am)when it arrived.

So you can imagine my disappointment at the lack of a widescreen version the p*ss-poor extras and worse, the godawful sound and atrocious coloring. What was once an epic looks like something you'd find on late nite TV on a channel with poor reception. I know this movie was made in '79 but does it have to look like an old 8mm porno thats been wasting away in a steamer trunk for two decades?

Read Best Reviews of Zulu Dawn (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) (1979) Here

Many of the reviewers of this DVD like the movie but are critical of the transfer. It is terrible, and my rating is for the transfer, not the movie. There is a solution if you have a region free DVD player: Go to Amazon.fr and order the French release, titled "L'Ultime Attaque." Just turn off the French dubbed version and watch the origianal English. This transfer is pristine with an aspect ratio of 2.35.1. Compared to it, the version offered by Amazon.com is shabby, indeed, and the French transfer is like watching a different movie. Remember, the French version is region 2, so you need a region free player, and shipping makes "L'Ultime Attaque" a bit pricey. Hope this helps.

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This is a decent movie which attempts to cover its subject well. The anti-British bias of the movie hurts its accuracy. For one, the Zulu Kingdom was not some innocent, put upon people. Shaku Zulu had spend years creating a brutal tribal kingdom that was under his complete control. His seccessors were no less brutal. King Catayweo may have been marginal less dictatorial than Shaku, but only by degrees. Despite this flaw, the movie is still worthwhile. Peter O'Tool lays it on thick by making Lord Chelmsford look the arrogant fool. This was not quite the case. Burt Lancaster does a nice job as Durnsford, and Simon Ward is great as the young gent recruit in the native horse.

The battle scene at Ishlandwana is impressive, but almost totally inaccurate. For one thing the British firepower kept the Zulus pinned for quite a while. The movie shows them charging forward ever invincible. Only when the Britsh fire slackend were they able to surge forward and break the line. The movie does not show this. Also the Zulu prisoners reporting the British position back to the main Impi is pure fantasy! This never happened and is another attempt by the movie to make the British look cruel and stupid! There are some other flaws, but to me these are the most serious.

The production quality is first-rate, and the attention to the flow of historical events is well done, if a little confusing at times. Those not familar with the campaign may have problems following it. Although portrayed as one of the most serious defeats ever in British military history this is also an exaggeration. The Zulu campaign was a embarrassment in some ways for the British, and also an un-wanted conflict, but the ultimate result was a crushing British victory a few weeks later under Chelmsford. Those who want a truly crushing victory of the natives over the Europeans should check out the fate of the Italians in Ethiopia in 1896! That was a true debacle. The British endured their set-back and came back for the final win as they often did. A flawed movie, but worthwhile.

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