John Landis on ZULU

[@alfredthegreat9543]

An absolute classic. An action movie where all the best bits aren't the action but the sense of dread, the build up, the character interactions, and the characters themselves.

[@Richard-hv5hh]

A marvellous film. One of the greatest epic film scores, a superb cast, even handed treatment of the soldiers and Zulu's, beautiful cinematography. Truly inspiring. Hats off to Stanley Baker and Cy Enfield.

[@Philbert-s2c]

One of my favorite films growing up and I still manage to watch it on dvd every couple of years. I would disagree with Landis' use of the word "jingoistic' here. The films really isn't glorifying colonialism or warfare at all. When Michael Caine's character, Bromhead makes a racist remark about African soldiers as "cowardly blacks" he gets reamed out by the Boer "military advisor' for not knowing what the hell he's talking about. The performances are all first class and the direction is very tight. Peter Jackson has given this film credit for being the basis of how he approached the attack on Helm's Deep in "The Two Towers."

[@franl155]

What I love about this film is that there are no goodies or baddies, no villains or heroes; just two sets of good people coming together at an unfortunate angle. Well, that's not all I love about it: the slow buildup, the increasing tension, and then the final release.

[@markeakes7941]

i saw this movie in a theater in Lima, Peru when it first showed. love this film. Barry's score is superb.

[@Kuntyful]

Cy Enfield was a "Commie" on the Hollywood blacklist, while Stanley Baker, was a lifelong socialist, and if you read Michael Caine's account of this film, you'll know the crew weren't too happy working in Apartheid South Africa, so it isn't that Jingoistic... But, I have watched this film so many times, I can't count... it is GREAT

[@pauldourlet]

Zulu Dawn is the other side of the coin-excellent movie.About the defeat of the British at Isandalwana.

[@CaminoAir]

It was a Welsh regiment and Stanley Baker (who was Welsh as far as I remember) was the driving force behind getting the film made. I don't agree that Baker's character is unsympathetic. He's an engineer who has to assume military command for the first time in his life and is appalled at the massacre he is involved in. It is a great film.

[@111gerbil]

Except it wasn't a "Welsh regiment" until 2 years later - it was the 2nd Warwickshires. And Chard was an experienced soldier - neither he nor Bromhead were in their first battle - their supposed reaction after the battle was pure liberal invention from the Director and Producer.

[@CaminoAir]

@@111gerbil Yes, I'd read that about the liberties taken with the actual people and events. A film has to have an overall point though (strict accuracy doesn't necessarily work for a movie), so I suppose the film makers believed they had to angle the story a certain way.

[@antonytye3484]

The Majority of the Troops were English, it was a Welsh Border Regimient, not Welsh. The whole men of Harlech thing just reinforces the mistake. However a fair few Welsh troops were there and 2 won VCs. I think 6 or 7 VCs went to English men, like Bromhead, Chard and Hook.

[@toothpick4649]

My favourite film of all time

[@funkyalfonso]

Ulla Jacobson was in The Heroes of Telemark opposite Kirk Douglas and Richard Harris. Whatever happened to her? She died of bone cancer aged 53.

[@patrickdowdle5121]

This is one of my top 5 favourite films , along with Lawrence of Arabia and Once Upon A Time In The West . Michael Caine could not have been better cast

[@bobbydazzler9482]

but what a great film and what heroics!

[@richardauchinleck1234]

apparently director landis believed he had learned a new word just prior to this review, as he used it an inordinate number of times in a relatively short review and clearly had no idea as to its meaning.

[@susanlockyer1192]

Perhaps the figures might be changed - a lot of the film facts wee 'embroidered' some what - it was actually 130 varied types of British soldiers. It was also NOT Michael Caine's first movie - that was 1954 'A Hill in Korea' or the USA title 'Hell in Korea' starring George Baker (no relation to Stanley), Harry Andrews. Caine didn't have the acting experience to score a speaking role so he was asked to come along as an 'advisor' as he had, in fact, served in the Korean conflict. He was given a uniform to make up the numbers. A very young George Baker, kidded one of the production staff 'when does Michael say something?' - 'you mean we brought him all the way to Portugal & he doesn't have a single line?' The next morning Baker (G) came on set & found Caine wearing a silly grin & clutching a piece of paper 'what are you grinning at & what's with the paper?' - 'They are my lines' said Caine. - 'Lines, they gave you some lines?' - 'Yes thanks to you' - 'Oh I didn't think they would take any notice of me.' 🥰

[@davidogrady4750]

I like the fair (ish) neutrality of the film. Yes we follow Britsh soldiers being heroic... But the Zulus are not barbaric, uncivilized savages either. A story of two sides where respect for the Zulu warrior is peppered in as much as possible. For the time it was made...a very different outlook. No good or bad, just sides

[@ewanthompson1813]

Jingoistic? Baker - an unsympathetic character? I respect Landis as a director, but not his reviewing skills here.

[@XCrawlFan]

I have loved this movie since the first time I watched it. This trailer is supremely bad.

[@JC-sd3vh]

Patrick Macnee? is Landis pissed???

[@susanlockyer1192]

Err...maybe he means Patrick Magee - he played the surgeon - often appeared in Baker's films, along with Nigel Green, Larry Taylor (the guy wearing the leather collar)

[@JC-sd3vh]

@@susanlockyer1192 Aaah! Thank you. You know your stuff!

[@susanlockyer1192]

😊@@JC-sd3vh

[@banquo60615]

It's probably too late if you're reading this, but skip this crappy review and just see the movie.

[@chrishanrahan939]

He's reviewing the trailer rather than the movie.

[@shirleymental4189]

If you think this movie is jingoistic, you're a fool , Landis.

[@syphonfilter8372]

1000? Thought it was 140 Brits? Also, wtf? Why was the director blacklisted?

[@susanlockyer1192]

McCarthy hearings in mid 1950s USA - mind you I don't think you had to do much to be blacklisted

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

It would be even more fun to see in Wales, Mr Landis - trust me on this one ;)

[@stephenbignell2013]

+STEVE DAVIES Why? Only 11% of the troops at Rorke`s Drift were actually Welsh. Most of those fighting had been to Wales.

[@stephenbignell2013]

+Stephen Bignell That should have read......Most of those fighting had never been to Wales. I should not drink and type!

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

+Stephen Bignell did you ever watch this movie in a Welsh cinema? So never mind 'why'? Just take my word for it.

[@antonytye3484]

@@TheOverlordOfProcrastination Why is simply answered, the misinterpretation of history, the Welsh pride at the misrepresentation of a mainly English victory in a movie made by a Welsh man. As said very few Welsh men were in this English Warwickshire Regiment. Its the lies of the movie they lap up. Men of Harlech being sung, my arse, Welsh Regiment my arse.

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

@@antonytye3484 you sound very upset, mate. Go eat some ice cream.

[@paulcrewe3125]

John Landis thinks that actor James Booth’s name is Nigel Green; they are both in the film. The man who gives the best performance in the film is James Booth not Nigel Green.

[@jebprendergast101]

Oddly, Landis fails to mention if any actors were decapitated OR children killed during the making of this film.

[@Richard-hv5hh]

Love that comment! Yes I remember.

[@susanlockyer1192]

Or animals!!!

[@FlickerHead]

Great little video John. I made a short film at the 50th anniversary premiere in London recently - check it out here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmqpn5hsmrCSjsk with cameo appearences by Chief Buthelezi and Prince Harry.

[@anthonytripp2251]

Why isn't John Landis in jail? Asking for a friend.

[@stevegmb1]

no filter

[@hennagaijin100]

Nothing wrong with " jingoistic ".

[@juanaltredo2974]

Bizarre how a Hollywood director uses the term "jingoistic", perhaps he wasn't used to a movie glorifying anyone other than Americans. British tend to be very self-denigrating, even at their most patriotic. I will admit its a pretty dated movie, and by now, even if they were only a few, soldiers with firearms against unarmed men doesn't seem that heroic, but still, I think the movie is kind of self-aware at moments, and I like john Barry's score (which Landis doesn't mention by name)

[@richardauchinleck1234]

Juan , who is unarmed? if you are referring to the zulu warriors, the british column massacred at iswandwala must have committed mass suicide.

[@juanaltredo2974]

@@richardauchinleck1234 well, armed with lances and knives against firearms, if you want to be so literal, but I think most intelligent people got the essence of my point. We write assuming the people who will read us are intelligent and people of the XXI century so they will get obvious points, and we do so to save a few useless explanations, but there you have it, I wrote everything so you could understand it, i guess next I will have to draw it for you

[@richardauchinleck1234]

@@juanaltredo2974 hey fuck wad, it is obvious that YOU need pictures drawn for you. apparently you are the only person alive who thinks assegai iron spears are not weapons. they are weapons, and the brits feared them. they were used to slaughter more than 1300 brits and allies at the battle of iswandwala. why don't you get your head out of your ass and admit your mistake?

[@juanaltredo2974]

@@richardauchinleck1234 surely even someone as limited as you, can see the major difference between a spear and a rifle?

[@richardauchinleck1234]

@@juanaltredo2974 a mind like yours needs to be weeded out of the gene pool. perhaps you are eligible for a darwin award.

[@paultapner2769]

Would have preferred to hear the trailer rather than have someone talk over it

[@nostromoau]

In real life the zulus had better rifles than the British….not armed with just spears like in the movie.

[@alexandercrankshaft]

I'm interested, explain please.

[@nostromoau]

alexandercrankshaft I had a vague memory of reading about the battle at rorke's drift on a military history website way back in the pre-wikipedia days and I seem to remember it said the zulus had a number of repeating rifles. It may be my memory playing tricks because according to wikipedia they only had some muskets and 'a few antiquated rifles'. Still it turns out that 5 of the 17 British fatalities were indeed caused by zulu long guns.

[@alexandercrankshaft]

nostromoau I read The Washing of the spears, Saul David’s Zulu and a book called Rorke’s Drift and none of them mention repeating rifles. I think it could be you’re memory nostromaou buddy. Mind you, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have them. Incidentally. Chard and Bromhead were two incompetents who were left at Rorke's Drift so they couldn’t cause any damage. James Dalton was the real hero.

[@nostromoau]

alexandercrankshaft Yes, it was my memory. Reread a lot of stuff since that first post…I was mixing up Rorke's drift with the Battle of Little Big Horn where the cheyenne had numerous repeating rifles as against the 7th cavalry's single shot breech loaders. Sorry about that. I can only plead old-timers'.

[@alexandercrankshaft]

nostromoau That’s a funny thing; I said to my brother, I think he’s mixing it up with the little big horn. Too much military history, I know, I should get out more. I was looking at you’re video of the green CIE bus being put in a museum, I remember them coming in to service, that makes me an old-timer too. These young whippersnappers don't know they've been born, dag nabbit.

[@mrglasses8953]

Welsh, not British.

[@susanlockyer1192]

The 24th Warwickshire Regiment was a British Regiment (English, Scots, Irish & Welsh) - Baker let his Welsh nationalist pride interfere with the story a little

[@bobbydazzler9482]

how many Americans even know about this event

[@midlandredux]

Millions, I expect. This is one of the classic British war movies that came out in the 50s and 60s that every American who watches classic war moves has probably seen many times.

[@FifthContinentMusic]

That god-awful American accent. Can't even pronounce Ulla Jacobson's family name correctly (it's Yakubson).

[@vestibulate]

"A bunch of British soldiers defended this little place..." that they'd invaded and were protecting from the people who actually lived there. "Zulu" has long been a mainstay of right-wing audiences in the U.K., vying for honours with "The Dam Busters" and "The Great Escape". But there's something special about "Zulu" that really resonates with crowds of white English males. I can't quite put my finger on the reason, but they seem to get quite a charge from the spectacle of brave outnumbered squaddies singing Welsh hymns as they gun down massed hordes of African men.

[@mikenolan73]

@Texas Chainsaw Jesus That literally happens in the film when private hook questions why they're in africa : "What for? Did I ever see a Zulu walk down the city road? No! So what am I doing here?"

[@stevec7770]

Fuck off matey

[@paultapner2769]

Rorke's drift was outside Zulu territory and the Zulus disobeyed the orders of their King in attacking it.

[@vestibulate]

@@paultapner2769 ​ Rorke's Drift was most definitely outside UK territory, which is more to the point.

[@susanlockyer1192]

King Cetawayo ordered his brother who commanded to Zulus 'do not cross the river & attack Rorke's Drift' - the river was the border between what had relatively recently become Zulu territory - they cleared off several smaller tribes - & Natal which was undisputed territory