History Film / Zulu

->'''[[SergeantRock Colour Sergeant Bourne]]:''' [[SomeoneHasToDoIt Because we're here, lad]]. [[TheRemnant No one else.]] [[Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits Just]] [[LastStand us.]]

->'''[[SergeantRock Colour Sergeant Bourne]]:''' [[SomeoneHasToDoIt Because we're here, lad]]. [[TheRemnant No one else.]] [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits Just]] [[LastStand us.]]

* ArtisticLicenceHistory: Amongst the examples is the portrayal of Colour Sergeant Bourne as a towering middle-aged man. The real Bourne was actually slighty-built and in his mid-twenties (he was, in fact, the youngest Colour Sergeant in the British Army at the time).

* EnsignNewbie: Bromhead, though in {{Real Life}} both he and Lieutenant Chard were [[InvertedTrope inversions]]: they were ''old'' for their rank, having been repeatedly [[PassedOverPromotion passed over for promotion]] as [[{{Irony}} unlikely to amount to much]] (and in Bromhead's case because he was going deaf).

** The "Private Hook" fictional character was shown performing the actions of several of the real life historical convict soldiers. It appears the filmmakers gave the composite character the name of the convict who won the Victoria Cross.

* DirtyCoward: Private Henry Hook is portrayed as this in a particularly offensive [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade piece of revisionism]]. In real life he was a model officer who won the VC for saving the lives of at least a dozen patients in the hospital.

* BattleChant: The battle chants of the Zulu warriors (which also include shield bashing) before the final battle are notorious; perhaps the full-throated rendition of the song ''Men of Harlech'' (made in response to the Zulu chants) by the Welsh soldiers could fit as well.

A classic war film set during the AngloZuluWar. Based on true events, the film is the story of a LastStand that the defenders managed to win. The Battle of Rorke's Drift was the result of the Battle of Isandlwana, at which the British expeditionary force of 2000 sent to crush the Zulus had been destroyed through a combination of skilled Zulu leadership of fearless legions of warriors and [[GeneralFailure and the incompetence of British commanders.]] 139 British soldiers in a farmstead, assigned there to protect colonials and wounded (about one third of the 139) held out against 4-5,000 Zulus for 12 hours. The battle is held to this day as one of the very best defenses in all history (Take that, [[EpicFail Little Big Horn]]!). Eleven of the soldiers got the VC, the highest number of this medal ever awarded for a single action. Also notable for being the film debut of an insignificant actor named MichaelCaine. Followed fifteen years later by a prequel, ''Zulu Dawn'' about the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana that took place earlier the same day. It starring Burt Lancaster and Peter O'Toole.

* BecomingTheMask: during the ''Men of Harlech'' scene you see dozens of weary demoralized soldiers who enlisted because no one else was poor enough for the job, [[TakeALevelInBadass converting themselves]] into the ProudWarriorRaceGuy s that they were singing of. If you look closely at the Zulus you can see how many are obviously youngsters out for the first time. They are becoming a mask too.

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: what the British and the Zulus do to each other whenever the Zulu's ZergRush manages to get through the British's [[MoreDakka dakka]].

* NippleAndDimed: The first TV screenings this film cheerfully screened it in its entirity, including the mass wedding sequence near the start where several hundred Zulu warriors dance their way into wedlock with a line of several hundred very exuberantly bouncy Zulu maidens. On the elsewhere mentioned [[NationalGeographicNudity African tribeswomen]] principle, this protracted scene of southern African pulchritude was always left in, regardless of the time of day of screening, throughout the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's. Yet in the early 2000's, all this abruptly changed and British TV adopted a strictly censored version with all the bouncy toplessness left out. There was no clear reason given for this change of mind on the part of the broadcasters, and it was noticeable that later graphic scenes depicting mass slaughter of Zulu warriors under concentrated British riflepower were left in.
* NotSoDifferent: The Men of Harlech scene emphasizing the [[ProudWarriorRace mutual warlikness]] of the British and the Zulus.

* {{Plunder}}: Zulus are shown rifling British dead at Isandhwana.

* WorthyOpponent: The Zulus appear to be massing again to wipe out the British, but it turns out they're saluting the British for their bravery before departing for good. This is [[ArtisticLicenseHistory actually completely fictitious]]: In real life the Zulu's only left because the British reinforcements arrived... and it was in no way a peaceful and dignified retreat.

* ZergRush: Again and again, the Zulu's chief tactic.

* DirtyCoward: Private Henry Hook is portrayed as this in a particularly offensive piece of revisionism. In real life he was a model officer who won the VC for saving the lives of at least a dozen patients in the hospital.

* ImproperlyPlacedFirearms: Due to the difficulty in obtaining antique ammunition, the soldiers use anachronistic Lee-Enfield rifles instead of Martini-Henry rifles. Officers use Webley Mk VI revolvers in lieu of period-accurate (but difficult to procure) Beaumont-Adams revolvers.

* NippledAndDimed: The first TV screenings this film cheerfully screened it in its entirity, including the mass wedding sequence near the start where several hundred Zulu warriors dance their way into wedlock with a line of several hundred very exuberantly bouncy Zulu maidens. On the elsewhere mentioned [[NationalGeographicNudity African tribeswomen]] principle, this protracted scene of southern African pulchritude was always left in, regardless of the time of day of screening, throughout the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's. Yet in the early 2000's, all this abruptly changed and British TV adopted a strictly censored version with all the bouncy toplessness left out. There was no clear reason given for this change of mind on the part of the broadcasters, and it was noticeable that later graphic scenes depicting mass slaughter of Zulu warriors under concentrated British riflepower were left in.

->'''[[SergeantRock Colour Sergeant Bourne]]:''' [[SomeoneHasToDoIt Because we're here, lad]]. [[TheRemnant No one else.]] [[LastStand Just]] [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits us.]]

* WorthyOpponent: The Zulus appear to be massing again to wipe out the British, but it turns out they're saluting the British for their bravery before departing for good. This is [[ArtisticLisenceHistory actually completely fictitious]]: In real life the Zulu's only left because the British reinforcements arrived... and it was in no way a peaceful and dignified retreat.

** The Private Hook was shown performing the actions of several of the historical convict soldiers. It appears the filmmakers gave the composite character the name of the convict who won the Victoria Cross.

* BecomingTheMask: during the ''Men of Harlech'' scene you see dozens of weary demoralized soldiers who enlisted because no one else was poor enough for the job, [[TakeALevelInBadass converting themselves]] into the ProudWarriorRaceGuy s that they were singing of.
** If you look closely at the Zulus you can see how many are obviously youngsters out for the first time. They are becoming a mask too.

* EnsignNewbie: Bromhead.
** In {{Real Life}} both he and Lieutenant Chard were [[InvertedTrope inversions]]: they were ''old'' for their rank, having been repeatedly [[PassedOverPromotion passed over for promotion]] as [[{{Irony}} unlikely to amount to much]] (and in Bromhead's case because he was going deaf).

* ImproperlyPlacedFirearms: Some soldiers use anachronistic Lee-Enfield rifles instead of Martini-Henry rifles. Officers use Webley Mk VI revolvers in lieu of period-accurate (but difficult to procure) Beaumont-Adams revolvers.
** In the case of the Martini-Henry rifles, plenty were available. The sheer scale of the movie used up all the available blank cartridges in the obsolete .577/450 caliber, which is why Lee-Enfields were used in some crowd scenes.

** Note that "rashasha" is a real-life onomatopeia denoting automatic weapons in some parts of Africa.

* RatedMForManly: Manly Zulus fighting the manly British Army in a manly manner. This film oozes manliness. There is only ''one'' female speaking part in the entire movie, and she leaves halfway through.

** Though not half so scary as the working class blokes in red coats. As Victor Davis Hansen observes the most dangerous warrior in 19th c. Africa averaged five feet eight inches, wore a wool uniform and lugged about sixty pounds of gear wherever he went. And unless horrifically misled he chewed up [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race Guys]] and spit out the soggy bits.
*** They were still more then scary enough. Historically, the British, the Boers, and the Zulus were in South Africa like the three toughest kids in a high school arguing about who is toughest. And scaring all the little kids.

** The film does, however, adhere to the 60s trope of bloodless wounds - including bayonettings. The actual Zulu practice of disembowelling the dead, much referred to in accounts of the Isandlwana battlefield is also not referred to; the British troops found this quite revolting but it was described by the Zulu as a religious rite, allowing the soul of the dead man to escape and not haunt his killer. YMMV on the accuracy of this. (As a practical matter, 1960s special effects wouldn't have been up to the challenge of faking hundreds of bayonettings and large-caliber bullet wounds on bare-chested Zulu extras.)

* WorthyOpponent: The Zulus appear to be massing again to wipe out the British, but it turns out they're saluting the British for their bravery before departing for good.
** This is actually completely fictitious: In real life the Zulu's only left because the British reinforcements arrived... and it was in no way a peaceful and dignified retreat.
** The Zulus themselves are treated reasonably respectfully as intelligently led and brave warriors that just happen to be on the other side. Just the idea of charge into massed rifle fire with the best tactical maneuvering available with primarily spears because you essentially have nothing else demands a powerful kind of battle valor.
*** According to the Zulu's alive today, their ancestors who took part in this battle were actually on hallucinogenic drugs derived from marijuana which was one of their most common battle practices. In other words, whilst valor and courage certainly helped, it is more accurate to say that they had doped themselves to the point they no longer cared.
*** That is a fammiliar practice in most parts of the world. British just prefered the drug known as "alchohol".

** Chard was also explicitly left in command by Major Henry Spalding, who left the post to check on an overdue company.
*** Also as mentioned above, in reality, Bromhead was almost completely deaf and he did not contest Chard's command because of it.

** This troper watched the film on British TV during the afternoon the other day (July 2012) and there was plenty of "bouncy toplessness" - perhaps the prudish noughties have ended?!

A classic war film set during the AngloZuluWar. Based on true events, the film is the story of a LastStand that the defenders managed to win. The Battle of Rorke's Drift was the result of the Battle of Isandlwana, at which the British expeditionary force of 2000 sent to crush the Zulus had been destroyed [[GeneralFailure due to the incompetence of their leaders.]] 139 British soldiers in a farmstead, assigned there to protect colonials and wounded (about one third of the 139) held out against 4-5,000 Zulus for 12 hours. The battle is held to this day as one of the very best defenses in all history (Take that, [[EpicFail Little Big Horn]]!). Eleven of the soldiers got the VC, the highest number of this medal ever awarded for a single action. Also notable for being the film debut of an insignificant actor named MichaelCaine. Followed fifteen years later by a prequel, ''Zulu Dawn'' about the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana that took place earlier the same day. It starring Burt Lancaster and Peter O'Toole.

** The Zulus themselves are treated reasonably respectfully as brave warriors that just happen to be on the other side. Just the idea of charge into massed rifle fire with primarily spears because you essentially have nothing else demands a powerful kind of battle valor.

** The Zulus themselves are treated reasonably respectfully as brave warriors that just happen to be on the other side.

A classic war film set during the AngloZuluWar. Based on true events, the film is the story of a LastStand that the defenders managed to win. The Battle of Rorke's Drift was the result of the Battle of Isandlwana, at which the British expeditionary force of 2000 sent to crush the Zulus had been massacred [[GeneralFailure due to the incompetence of their leaders.]] 139 British soldiers in a farmstead, assigned there to protect colonials and wounded (about one third of the 139) held out against 4-5,000 Zulus for 12 hours. The battle is held to this day as one of the very best defenses in all history (Take that, [[EpicFail Little Big Horn]]!). Eleven of the soldiers got the VC, the highest number of this medal ever awarded for a single action. Also notable for being the film debut of an insignificant actor named MichaelCaine. Followed fifteen years later by a prequel, ''Zulu Dawn'' about the disastrous Battle of Isandlwana that took place earlier the same day. It starring Burt Lancaster and Peter O'Toole.