Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama / History / War Director(s): Cy Endfield Release Date: 22 January 1964 Movie rating: 7.8

Based upon the real life events of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War, 1964 historical war drama “Zulu” was directed by blacklisted American film maker Cy Endfield who permanently moved to England in 1953. The film is noted for being the first major part for then relatively unknown British actor Michael Kaine. It tells the story of the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, where about 150 British soldiers managed to fend off a 4,000 men strong Zulu army. The film begins in the aftermath of the Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulu army dealt a crushing blow to the British forces. A company of the British Army is using the missionary station of Rorke’s Drift in Natal for supplies and as a hospital for the British invasion forces in Zululand. When he learns that the Zulu Army of about 4,000 men is marching towards the station, commanding officer Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) decides to stay and defend the post, seeing how they won’t be able to outrun the Zulu with many wounded men under his command. Considering Chard’s orders suicidal, men from a different unit abandon the station, leaving Chard with about 150 men under his command. Zulu warriors arrive and send a small number of soldiers to rush the fort. They are mostly gunned down, but the British soldiers realize that it was just a test of their strength. During the day and well into the night the British troops withstand one Zulu attack after another. The next morning Zulu commence their final decisive charge to the fort, and it seems that all hope is lost for the tired British soldiers.

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