Back then, they literally had a "cast of thousands". Today, they would put 25 people on the field and computerize them to look like thousands. Made some hellacious movies back in the day. huh ?
Another British war film "The Charge of The Light Brigade" cast hundreds of extras, and horses to accommodate a realistic cavalry charge. Many Horses and extras were injured during the filming of the charge due to using tripwires to stimulate horses and their riders falling from cannon ball explosions.
Wedge Antilles yup zulu fighting to maintain control of their homeland. And young men in the British army who just want to survive the next time day. People fail to realize not every soldier is a genocidal conspirator that wants to colonize everything they see. Most just need a living like the rest of us.
In fact, the movie goes out of its way (and props to them for that) to portray both party's better sides. For example, when Bromhead makes a disparaging remark about native levies, Adendorff reprimands him saying. " What the hell do you mean, "cowardly blacks"? They died on your side, didn't they? And who the hell do you think is coming to wipe out your little command? The Grenadier Guards?" (Of course, Bromhead does a good job of redeeming himself by film's end.) And then there's that brilliant ending with both the Zulus singing their praise of the bravery of the British. Now, to be sure, the popularization of the battle of Rorke's Drift was a bit of British propaganda to distract from the humiliating slaughter at Isandlwana, but the film director Cy Enfield and Stanley Baker both did a fantastic job of showing both sides as being noble combatants.
Notorious Steve so did white europeans to america, is it not their homeland? If so when does it become their homeland? Is it never their homeland? Are they just always the “migratory” folk of America? See where what you’re saying doesn’t really make sense?
Historically accurate or not...this scene is amazing. The differences between the soldiers and the Zulus was stripped away as both armies sang to bolster their courage. No good or bad guys...just brave men fighting for what they believed in, men who should have been friends not enemies. Powerful stuff.
I think the end of this scene is brilliant. No cheering, no music, no painting the battle as some glory filled victory, just utter silence, panning across the field of the fallen zulu casualties before finally falling on exhausted, frightened british soldiers still coming to grips with the fact they even survived. Brilliant.
Topped with a great conversation between the two officers later. Lt Bromhead thinks Lt Chard is combat experienced. Chard: "Do you think I could stand this butcher's yard more than once?"
I don’t think any of them felt like celebrating here , it is almost reminiscent of a butchers shop ! Brilliant movie about the courage of both sides in a terrible situation.
The beauty of this movie is how it simultaneously condemns war outright and humanizes the dreadfulness of battle. Anyone hating on this great film claiming it glorifies the British Empire is missing the entire point.
I saw this movie in the theater, as a kid, and was quite impressed! I have seen it several times since. However, this "final attack" never happened. The last of the surviving Zulu attackers left the area around midnight, the night before. A useful book: "Roake's Drift 1879", by Ian Knight
Colour Sgt. Major Bourne lived till the age of 91 . He fought in the trenches of the first world war in the rank of colonel and died in his house on VE Day, 1945 at 16 Kings Hall Road, Beckenham, Kent.. On google earth street view you can see the blue disc on the front wall above the front door
I 'll never forget that scene with the young private soldier responding to the missionary's cry "You're all going to die" . He asks, "Why us Colour Sergeant, why us?" To which the Colour Sergeant replies, "Because we're 'ere lad, there's nobody else".
That was why the Native Americans yelled, it unsettled your enemy. Psychological war fare. As with the Rebel yell. Scared the Yankees. The Scots used their bagpipes to unnerved their foe. Read military history, it's fascinating.
For those who might not know: while there is no account of singing by the defenders at Rorkes Drift, there is an account of an equally incredible last stand in which the defenders are reported to have sung: the Shangani Patrol, also known as the Last Stand of Wilson’s Patrol. It occurred during the Ndebele War and was a last stand by roughly 30 men against several thousand Ndebele warriors. I would be willing to bet this scene was inspired by that occurrence.
@rebinred495 Not that one no. The last stand of the Shangani Patrol (or Wilson’s Patrol) involved 34 mounted British troopers who became surrounded by several thousand Ndebele (also referred to as Matabele) warriors and refused to surrender (likely because the Ndebele viewed surrender as cowardice and would have butchered them). They continued fighting for hours, using their dead horses for cover, until all their bullets were used up. They then stood up, shook hands with one another and began to sing. The final charge by the Ndebele resulted in vicious hand to hand fighting until only Wilson remained leaning against a rock with multiple wounds. A young warrior then ran forward and killed him with his spear. The Ndebele apparently left all the bodies intact (their typical practice was to mutilate the corpses of their enemies), and the inDuna who had been present there commented on it saying that “ The white men died so bravely we would not treat them as we do the cowardly Mashonas and others.” It was a truly remarkable last stand on a similar level as Rorkes Drift.
Although British in the early eighties I worked in the steel works now close to the battle site. The zulus loved to recreate this battle. We the white men would line up in ranks, whilst the zulus would sing, chant, stamp and then charge holding brush handles. Absolutely terrifying! The challenge was to hold your ground without taking a step back. None of us able to do it. After scaring us half to death they would laugh and hug us. Yet This was during the apartheid period with all the political troubles. Zulus have a very British sense of humour and I grew to love them.
Remember watching this as a kid. Brilliant movie. The Zulus final charge, combined with their singing, probably one of the most powerful scenes in cinema.
Shaka Zulu was great warrior leader who welded his tribe together in a fierce fighting force. He was also a brutally sadistic dictator who dealt with insubordination and challengers to his rule with an iron hand and cruel punishments. But he formed thr most fearsome resistance to British Colonial rule over that part of Africa.
Just the warriors charging into gunfire with no protection was a great show of bravery cause they were fighting intruders in their land who wanted to enslave them .writing this in February 2022 during the covid.stay safe people.
@@ms.annthrope415 Indeed, he used to massacre thousands of captives, taken in battle, in public celebrations lasting days, for the amusement of his people. But that generally gets overlooked, if not excused.
@@edwardmoore5325 They were doped to the eyeballs on the equivalent of crystal meth. But sure, even in European armies, a liberal distribution of alcohol was often conducive to victory.
That moment at 4:14 when he give the order to 'cease firing' and the silence is so sudden that you hear it echoing in the hills is haunting! Amazing courage on both side of the battle, this is how a war film should be!
Such a good movie. Could have done the Zulu so wrong, but instead they come across as brave, noble, and proud. And the English were humanized well. You really didn't hate either side.
Well ...English were the ones colonising and knowing what they did to the places they colonised I did want them to die. Although I know it was a historical movie I was still rooting for the Zulu. But I get what you mean.
@Asderei I’m not defending British colonialism here, but you do get that the Zulu Kingdom also was an Empire? As in; defeating, displacing and conquering other tribes like the Soshangane, Zwangendaba and the Ndebele. Taking their land, cattle and women etc. War, Empire and colonisation is not only a British thing. it’s not even only a white man thing, sorry to break it.
@@TommyGlint never said such a thing. I’m Portuguese, we basically restarted colonialism after the vikings. And i’m not one of those delusional or uneducated people that think natives african tribes and kingdoms and native north and south americans were peaceful. We are all humans, and humans wage war unfortunately. I get that. But you have to admit that there is a difference between 1- England fighting Scotland, the Zulu fighting another african tribe and 2- England colonialism, imperialism and the trans atlantic slave trade. I don’t doubt that if Native Americans were the ones with the technology that europeans had that they probably would have done the same thing. And I know it’s not a white thing. White is just a colour of skin. But in this case it was the white people and it was the English, and for simply that reason i wish they got pushed back and out of Africa.
@@theraven5935 They did have a sense of honor. Story at Isandlwana that a unit of British soldiers had been holding off the Zulus but ran out of ammunition. There was a slight pause before the final rush. The Zulu's said that the officer or NCO in charge went to all his men still alive to shake their hands one last time. After it was over, the Zulus arranged all the dead into the formation that had use during the fighting. They also left shields & spears as tokens of respect for brave fighters.
One thing I like about this scene is that at 4:20 the officer gives the correct command “cease firing” instead of common “cease fire”. Cinema rarely gets details like this correct.
It didn’t become The South Wales Borderers until 1881, or so. Can’t remember exactly. It had by 1879 indeed begun to recruit in Wales, where its home depot had been moved to some years before. But at best it was 50/50 welsh and not-welsh. I’m from Scandinavia, so it doesn’t matter to me, and if you want to be proud, by all means be so :-)
@@philipandreicuk5356 There was a battle. There were British and Zulus killed. The film might not be 100% accurate, but it's a film. Not a documentary. But the Battle of Rorke's Drift definitely did happen.
Not everything the British did was great, but they've done a lot of really good things. The history of countries is what it is, and Britain's can generally be proud to be British.
@@saeedvazirian yes of course as its part of my history and heritage, are the zulu's proud of their wholesale murder ? I would hazard a guess and say yes, and you what heritage are you? Are you proud of the wholesale murder carried out by your ancestors? What can we do about history ? Ignore it? Erase it? Neither works if we erase it we will repeat the same dreadful mistakes and if we ignore it we do the vanquished and Victor's a disservice. You choose and I'll change my view if you can convince me. How is South Africa copeing at the moment?
@@saeedvazirian in fact I've got to say this people like yourself will never ever take away my feelings of pride in being British just because you see yourself as some left wing saviour. The Austro-Hungarian empire all good? A certain Mr Hitler another Austrian, all good? If your so much in love with selflessness why are you trying to stamp on my pride in my country ? Is that not rather selfish of you? Just like your country is it? Think my way or its the end for us? Finally how did the zulus become the leading military, economic and political force in that part of Africa? Democracy? Postal voting? Drawing straws? No they raped, pillaged, enslaved and butchered all others before them.
@Josh D Yes they had more. Yes they were old and outdated but they could and did still kill and over half of 32 British casualties at Rorkes Drift were via Zulu gunfire including 6 fatalities and 6 seriously wounded. Around 1 in 5 Zulus were armed with a gun. At Isandlwana the commander Henry Pulleine was shot dead by Zulu gunfire and the rocket battery was taken out by Zulu gunmen.
This event took place immediately after the Zulus had wiped out a much larger British force at Isandlwana. That battle is depicted in the movie _Zulu Dawn_ (not nearly as good a film as this, though). Guns alone didn’t make the difference.
@@lyndoncmp5751 the Zulu are sometimes portrayed as nothing more than a horde of tribesmen but in reality they were a vast and expansive empire with a working government and massive and regimented military of full time soldiers. Shaka Zulu was a genius battlefield tactician and their horns of the Buffalo maneuver is still considered one of the greatest attack formations in history. They also had lots of guns bought from western traders, and practically annihilated half the British forces in south Africa at islandhwana using them. I wish Hollywood would make movies about Shaka Zulu and other great African kings more instead of regurgitating the same stories about European kings and queens
IMHO this is probably the best close in movie battle scene ever filmed. From the height of battle to sudden absolute silence is one of the most powerful moments ever filmed. Respect to the Zulus and defending garrison alike. 👍
They were trained to be disciplined under stressful situations and historically very few Zulus actually reached the barricades, most of the Zulu casualties were from rifle fire
No they were cowards who took advantage of Africa and enslaved millions of African-American's and forced them to be Christians please reach this a friend as people should be informed on this topic this conflict by the way is called scramble for Africa.
Juan Lopez They attempted to shift the cultures of barbaric tribes to a more civilized and sophisticated culture, reflecting European ideals. Oh yes, how cowardly and oppressive indeed.
Juan Lopez The British were one of the First European nations to ABOLISH slavery, and did more to destroy the slave trade in East Africa than any other country. As to "forcing them to be Christian" that was sort of a Spanish thing, wasn't it?
I just have to say this last scene is terrific. The whole time you're impressed at the tactics (falling back and volley fire), excited that the red coats have finally turned the tables and are winning, and at the end utterly horrified at the mass death that has just taken place. It's great because it doesn't tell you how to feel, it lets you feel it for yourself, truly great cinema.
@@downunderrobyou can’t be fn serious…. I had multiple family members die on German and French soil bailing you Euro scuzz out because of your penchant for Nazism. Do STFU…
The devastating effect of the Volley Fire System. I don't know If it was actually used in the Battle of Rorkes Drift, but it was used to great effect many times by the British during the age of Musket and Rifle, most notably at Waterloo
I assume not but could be wrong certainly not all of them if they did because many soldiers shot through small slits they created in the buildings and such. They also weirdly only start shooting in the film at close range.
@@tavish4699 Obviously it has the greatest effect up close but these rifles could shoot you from surprisingly far away so against a large group of Zulus it makes more sense to begin harassing the Zulus with shot at a longer range. Not their maximum range, but well within it. Then you can deliver volleys at close range once they make it because these rifles reload quickly.
I watched this film in high school 20 years ago, and I remember shedding a tear during this scene. 20 years later, it still brings tears to my eyes. One of the great battle scenes in the history of film.
3:55 an amazing detail you can only get with real actors instead of cgi. The soldiers flinch when the shot goes off directly above their head. The actors would be firing blanks of course but a blank still fires something out of the gun so you get that effect where the actors flinch from that. It’s amazing.
Yeah that’s a good observation. Even though most of these actors would have done some national service and been around guns, it still makes them flinch. Natural reaction.
It might just be unburnt powder but it's still one hell of a boom. I was at an reenactment one of the Americans had a 12 gauge and even from over 100 yards away it sounded like it was right next to my head.
Mr. Numbers I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a god damn safety hazard that is. You have a group of renactors and someone wants someone dead they load a live round and theyve killed someone. I find what you said very difficult to believe
I saw this movie with my best friend George in 1966 at the Prince of Wales theatre in Toronto on a Saturday matinee. We are just 10 years old at the time. We saw over and over on that day. It is still a great movie even after all these years.l am now 68 years old when l which this particular l am 10 years again for a moment. How time flys.
Considering it was 1963, it was a very well balanced movie. Yes, ultimately it is a film and liked all films ever made, they take liberties with reality, however now in my 40s, I also enjoy the early emphasis on Zulu culture and hospitality and Cy Enfield didn't have to add on the fake ending compliment that the Zulus let the British live, rather than just left to 're-supply and regroup. It's a brilliant piece if cinema and now in HD stands the test of cinematic time. Be sure to read the many accounts on the internet of this very complex engagement. It was actually worse than depicted. Whilst the depleted cavalry from Ishandlwana did initially engage the Zulus, a whole Company also bailed on Chard resulting in the remaining command shooting at those who fled. Random Survivors from Ishandlwana did reach Rorkes Drift and kept running. Can you even imagine the horror of being left knowing the entire column had been massacred and you were next? They went through 20,000 rounds and only had 900 left the next morning. So yes, had even a fraction of the Zulu force returned they would have been wiped out. However the joint decision by Bromhead, Chard and Reynolds to stand and fight rather than flee and be caught in open country was remarkable. Different breed. Different times. RIP all involved.
I think that the ending, although inaccurate, is actually the best thing they could have done. Both the Zulu army and the British army are very proud warrior cultures, and there's probably no better way to have ended it than to have them marching off saluting each other. Also, I find it absolutely terrific that they managed to get the great grandson of the actual Zulu king Cetawayo to play him in the film. That must have been such an uncanny and amazing experience.
Harry Zhang From the battle of Fredericksburg,VA. Lee and his men were entrenched on the heights overlooking the town, Porter Alexander had every inch of the field presighted with artillery, yet Gen Burnside still insisted on sending wave after wave of bluecoats up that hill to be slaughtered.
@@usafvet100 the same happened at Picketts Charge. And after the Rebels retreated, the Union soldiers started shouting "FREDERICKSBURG! FREDERICKSBURG! FREDERICKSBURG!" at the Rebels as a final insult of the battle.
We watch this regularly on DVD and still love it. I have read the book about the actual battle of Rorke's Drift and Michael Caine's autobiography about this being his first major movie roll
You can't often find a film clip on RUclips featuring the British without running into at least one obnoxious nationalist with some variant of a Union Jack as his profile picture.
Boondock Saint That's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Is it possible for you to fathom that I perfectly well understand the fact that the British Army was disciplined, professional, and the bravery of her personnel usually (but not always) allowed Britain to punch above its military weight? I'm not understating or denying the fact that the British Empire had extremely effective, well-organized and technologically advanced armed forces. What I take issue with is the compulsion with which some of you English feel the need to pompously and pretentiously throw your history around everywhere you can and show everybody else how nationalistic you are. It's obnoxious to the extreme. There's also the tendency of these kinds of people to downplay or insult the bravery and military capability of various indigenous groups, as well as their culture and entire societal structures; ethnocentrism. There's nothing wrong with the Union Jack inherently. The reason I mentioned it was to point out that these obnoxious nationalist types regularly use some variant of it as their profile picture - you can always tell one because of it.
Think the Colour Sergeant - Bourne - was played brilliantly by Nigel Green. Saw a shsort interview with him recently - it was his favourite role to date. He especially liked that Bourne didn't go around shouting all day - raised his voice yes - but only really shouted when he wanted a stretcher barer for the wounded. I liked that he had a sense of humor as well - even when he was calling the roll towards then end - he realised the silly comments from the men were just their way of celebrating they were alive
DeFactoLeader No one would get it right anyway. It would favor one side or the other. But these days no one wants to see a bunch of imperialists killing natives in their own country. Clearly it was cool back in 1964.
DeFactoLeader It can and would be made, there would just be more history to it & it would be less patriotic. Just look at the 5 part film 'Rhodes' about Cessil Rhodes.
@ASCALON "mercy killings" & "if happened at all". Well know it, its well recorded. But they just didn't take prisoners even if they had the means to treat them especially non-Europeans. Neither side did. Lets not romanticise this, both sides were brutal, no quarter was given nor taken. You weren't going to see your mates stuck with an assegai or bayonet, then treat the man that did it afterwards for his wounds.
@@philldavies7940 I think you and DM are mixing sides up. Very common on youtube especially as regards British. At Isandlwana the Zulus used their assagais to kill wounded British troops. And hunt down survivors. "IF it happened at all" is far more accurate than assuming anything negative is fact - bayonetting badly injured has been around for THOUSANDS of years in war. To allow for quicker death for dying or even a religious thing to let their soul out as apparently was the reason for the zulus actions
It's a cliche to say 'best film scene ever', but, at the age of 39, I can't think of another scene I have watched literally hundreds of times over the decades and never get tired of. It's just perfect, spine-tingling stuff.
True story. Friend of mine watching this at home when the wife walks in. After a couple of minutes she asks, who are the ones in the red uniforms? Welsh regiment replies my friend. And who are the others? She asks. Zulus. What are all those Zulus doing in Wales!
I played against the Zulus once in Civ II. They lasted as long as I allowed them to. Spear throwers don't fare well against armor,just like the Zulus didn't last long after the British army got Maxims.
More like a stone age, if Zulu's are medieval, they have been inventing armor & shield from iron, or at least, chain mails. Seeing the huge gap of technology it is pathetic how British seem proud about this battle, it is like 1 man defeating 1000 babies. Not proud.
British Army had “no equal in those times” that is not correct. The facts are that the British Army was not that effective in late 19th C… The Imperial British Army was essentially an amateur affair and a middle weight in terms of size and power.. The armies of France and Germany were much larger than any army that Imperial Britain could muster. A German General in the 1890s when asked how the German Army would respond in the event a British Army invaded Saxony replied “arrest them”. The role of the 19th C British Army was essentially that of a police force tasked with keeping Pax Britannica facing mostly weak native armies like we see here. If there is any doubt about this just look at what happened immediately after the Anglo-Zulu War when Britain faced the Transvaal Boers in 1888-81 in the 1st Anglo-Boer… Britain was not only humiliated but seen to be without the will to fight when confronted with an enemy that had access to similar weapons. It also set in motion events that lead to the 2nd Anglo-Boer War of 1899 - 1902 and WW1. In the 2nd ABW we see stunning ineptitude with humiliating one defeat after another at the hands of the Boers. it took Imperial Britain (at the height of its power) 3 years and over a half a million troops from all across the Empire to defeat a rag-tag army of admittedly well armed and mobile Boers who’s numbers rarely exceeded 10,000… Arguably it was this public incompetence that emboldened Imperial German in its calculation as to how powerful an enemy Britain would be in the event of war.. we know the answer to that … World War One.
12thpanzer "best military record of their era" really I've just provided an argument that was not the case.. Maybe you can provide us with 2 or 3 specific examples of Britain engaging in modern warfare with serious competitors... by which I mean Great Powers say from 1815 thru 1914…
MartinIDavies 2 or 3 specific examples you want? How about 28... Gurkha War 1813-1816 Third Anglo-Maratha War 1817-1818 First Ashanti War 1823-1831 First Anglo-Burmese War 1824-1826 First Anglo-Afghan War 1839-1842 First Opium War 1839-1842 First Anglo Marri War 1840 First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-1846 Second Anglo-Burmese War 1852-1853 Crimean War 1853-1856 Anglo-Persian War 1856-1857 Second Opium War 1856-1860 Indian Rebellion 1857 New Zealand land wars 1845-1872 Second Anglo-Sikh War 1848-1849 Second Ashanti War 1863-1864 Bhutan War 1864-1865 Third Ashanti War 1873-1874 Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-1880 Anglo-Zulu War 1879 Second Anglo Marri War 1880 First Boer War 1880-1881 Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885 Mahdist War 1891-1899 Fourth Ashanti War 1894 Anglo-Zanzibar War 1896 Shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901 Second Boer War 1899-1902 Then notice how many of them were fought at the same time.
MartinIDavies BUT - during the American Civil War, both the US Army or General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia could have beat any army on earth - this belief was held by the Prussians and the English. In 1862 the was a treaty signed by the CSA and the USA stating that should the areas of the USA or the CSA be invaded by a foreign power, the US and CS governments would set side their differences and deal with a common threat. After the treaty was signed and British general made the comment "All the armies of the world could not by force, drink from the waters of the Ohio"
The ending where the redcoats could only stare where you can hear a pindrop is so powerful. There was no cheering, just silence in response to the deaths and the fact they survived.
Organization, Bravery, Strategic intelligence..This is how Britain ruled the world. And that's coming from a French. Long live to our neighbours. We must save what our ancestors built
That's what started WWI also! Great Britain didn't like the idea of Germany becoming a trade rival, so they and certain "others" blamed Germany for the world's problems and went to war against them. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
actually, the war started because RUSSIA, France's Ally, mobilized to fight Austro-Hungary, Germany's ally, over a dispute between Austro-Hungary and Serbia (also a Russian Ally) that culminated in the assassination of the Austrian heir to the throne.
As an old soldier who served 30 years as a gunner with 13 years overseas including a combat tour in Vietnam, the movie and this scene in particular touches me on several levels.
Yes, the Zulu were impressed at how the British soldiers were so disciplined to stand their ground like stones against such odds. The other African nations the Zulu fought were prone to break and flee long before that point.
That was until they came to Ceylon or now Sri Lanka,for the first time an entire British platoon of 10,000 was completely annihilated and they broke entirely at the Battle of the Kandyan pass. Every conventional miltary is weak against Guerilla warfare which the ancient Kandyan army where superb in, also note the Kandyan pass had only one entry and that was a dense jungle mountainous path with a bottleneck entry point which proved a fatal ambush point
Stanley Baker wonderful performance as Lieutenant John Chard. He always keeps a vigilant watch on his men's morale like the candle's flame, day and night as the Zulu's attack.
Saw this film on its release as an 11 year old boy. It made such an impression on me I’ve watched it at about thirty times since. Inspiring action made with respect and empathy for both sides, and the better for it. No “kick-ass” stupidity, just great acting of a heroic event.
Ok, so I get it, the Zulus wanted to feature in the Euro Song Contest and the Welsh lads tried to explain nicely that there was the little disqualifying factor of them not being European - which so pissed the Zulus they charged.
Let me make something clear. These men were not all welsh! 32 of them were Welsh, 11 of them were Irish, and 49 of them were English. The rest are unknown. This battle does not belong to one people.
Lukas Re it's whites winning a fight against blacks; the film would be crucified for "promoting colonialism" and "racism" despite being a historical piece
The Zulu's bravery is to be commended. They knew they were up against technologically advanced weaponry, but they came on. Their leadership betrayed them though and, like the British, wanted to expand their sphere of influence and garner the resources and benefits available in that region.
All time great double feature at our local hip art house around 1981: Zulu / The Man Who Would Be King. That was a glorious evening of movie watching, both left an impression. Unfortunately we've lost all but a couple of those cool little theaters in my city, which is sad.
doesn't matter what your opinion is skin colour religion or beliefs 100 vs 4000 takes absolute balls of major proportion and if ya can't respect them for putting up such a fight knowin they had just beat an army of over a thousands red coats and didn't run they deserve respect and when they sing it's touching
True...Bravery is always to be respected. My father was a Marine in WW2, was wounded several times, the last time he was shot on Iwo Jima. He never expressed any,anti Japanese or anti Asian prejudice, just said he respected his enemy because the were courageous and willing to fight to the death.
Agreed. I am Canadian but my grandfather fought in the German army in World War II. He never badmouthed anyone, not the Poles, French, Brits, or Russians he fought against. He was thrust into a horrible war that he wanted no part of. He did his duty as a soldier for his country. He respected his enemy as much as his fellow soldiers or his countrymen. Most of the men on all sides were just teenagers and young men pulled away from their families, girlfriends,farms, schools, jobs because of the lunatics that ran their perspective countries. Much honour and respect to all soldiers of all wars.
I can't imagine anything more scary in the world than waiting for the zulus to charge. Just hearing them yell and bash their shields. The british soldiers had alot of courage in this war.
470 Voortrekkers (Boere) held off and routed between 10000-20000 Zulu warriors, The Battle Of Blood River, they just make a lot of noise the noble zulu warriors, that's about all. Not to take anything away from the British you understand. But it's how they rolled the zulu's, fear and intimidation got them a long way, hell it still is to this very day, aka the anc.
Nevyn Tanis When saying that i cant imagine anything more scary than to wait for the zulus to charge i didnt mean specifically this battle or this anglo-zulu war. I meant in general just to stand and wait for an almost certain death. But the thing that is scary about this battle is that they are standing in a ridge with zulus standing on all sides and just watching them doing their war cries.
Augustus XV If you've not picked up on it, the opening scene in "Gladiator" has the Germanic tribe doing the identical chant to the one we hear from the Zulus in this film. The sincerest form of flattery.
I must have seen it on the television when I was ten or so. I do remember not moving one inch or talk during the whole movie. It left a permanent impression. Brilliant movie all around.
REGGIN RETNUH hahah have you paid attention to what’s currently happening in South Africa??? Karma is a bitch!!!! And your time is coming soon.. keep playing
+John Molloy I cut grass for a guy who was a police officer in Detroit and his buddy who was also a Detroit cop died today from a shooting right by my church
Some people just don't understand that this movie doesn't demonize or glorify any side at all. The protagonists were the soldiers and the antagonist was war. And that's quite impressive since this was produced in the 1960s.
Please do consider that this movie was made before the huge anti - racist movements began, so they could have shown the Zulus as dishonourable barbarians. They didn´t though, and showed both perspectives. That makes this movie great.
The First Reich of Rome despite what most people would assume. The zulus were good warriors, and had organised armies and military strategy. What they lacked was technology.
Agreed and I'm not condoning the British. Very Few Conquering nations have never been benevolent to the people conquered. The point is that the British were doing no different than any other conquering nation through the history of the world. And to hold them to a higher standard than other nations because they were a predominantly white race engaged in Imperialism is not fair.
Back in the times of choice you mean? Only white people can be made fun out of or depicted negatively.... They will never be happy, the anti racist movements weren't about equality?
Never noticed till now, when Chard calls for the cease firing order you can hear his voice echo over the sudden silence. Loved this film and it continues to amaze
Stanley Baker (Lieutenant Chard) did it for me, Color Sergeant and Michael Caine roles were great, but as Michael Caine said after the battle ended..."You did it." A masterful defense of the outpost saved the day. 140 against 4,000 Zulu's with ONE shot rifles and a bayonet, not 600 round machine guns or field cannon, a STUNING Brit victory. With a loss of only 17 men and no field cannon makes this even more incredible. Superior defensive tactics, regiment dicipline, and improvised logistics of the moment made the difference and prevented another Islandwanda slaughter. Robert at 67.
Back then, they literally had a "cast of thousands". Today, they would put 25 people on the field and computerize them to look like thousands. Made some hellacious movies back in the day. huh ?
Another British war film "The Charge of The Light Brigade" cast hundreds of extras, and horses to accommodate a realistic cavalry charge. Many Horses and extras were injured during the filming of the charge due to using tripwires to stimulate horses and their riders falling from cannon ball explosions.
Attenborough's Gandhi had 300,000 extras..the funeral scene at the beginning.
watching the scale of production for ben hur almost brings me to tears, vast sets and multitudinous crowds
Same with Waterloo, war movies back in the day really did it right
Jim Rich Waterloo casted hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers as extras
I love that this movie doesn't attempt to demonize either side.
There's no racist chants or glorious victory yells afterwards.
Massive props for that.
Wedge Antilles yup zulu fighting to maintain control of their homeland. And young men in the British army who just want to survive the next time day. People fail to realize not every soldier is a genocidal conspirator that wants to colonize everything they see. Most just need a living like the rest of us.
In fact, the movie goes out of its way (and props to them for that) to portray both party's better sides. For example, when Bromhead makes a disparaging remark about native levies, Adendorff reprimands him saying. " What the hell do you mean, "cowardly blacks"? They died on your side, didn't they? And who the hell do you think is coming to wipe out your little command? The Grenadier Guards?" (Of course, Bromhead does a good job of redeeming himself by film's end.) And then there's that brilliant ending with both the Zulus singing their praise of the bravery of the British. Now, to be sure, the popularization of the battle of Rorke's Drift was a bit of British propaganda to distract from the humiliating slaughter at Isandlwana, but the film director Cy Enfield and Stanley Baker both did a fantastic job of showing both sides as being noble combatants.
Unlike the patriot and other films, that demonises the British
5kings_saint the Zulu migrated to South Africa
Notorious Steve so did white europeans to america, is it not their homeland? If so when does it become their homeland? Is it never their homeland? Are they just always the “migratory” folk of America? See where what you’re saying doesn’t really make sense?
"They've got a very good bass section, but no top tenors, that's for sure."
I love British humor.
Historically accurate or not...this scene is amazing. The differences between the soldiers and the Zulus was stripped away as both armies sang to bolster their courage. No good or bad guys...just brave men fighting for what they believed in, men who should have been friends not enemies. Powerful stuff.
Read Washing of the Spears. Battle is exact
I think the end of this scene is brilliant. No cheering, no music, no painting the battle as some glory filled victory, just utter silence, panning across the field of the fallen zulu casualties before finally falling on exhausted, frightened british soldiers still coming to grips with the fact they even survived. Brilliant.
That's my favorite part. They didn't win, they survived.
Topped with a great conversation between the two officers later. Lt Bromhead thinks Lt Chard is combat experienced. Chard: "Do you think I could stand this butcher's yard more than once?"
if only movies had endings like this more often.
Its sort of meant to be the point. The scene with all the dead zulus was an anti racism statement.
I don’t think any of them felt like celebrating here , it is almost reminiscent of a butchers shop ! Brilliant movie about the courage of both sides in a terrible situation.
I love the part where they are admiring the Zulu warrior's singing and then the other guy says yes, they have a good base but are missing a tenor.
Sounds British, and I liked the way the Lieutenant looked back at that guy.
*bass
they have a good bass section but no top tenors
The Welsh are famous for their singing. Unfortunately this never happened, as the regiment wasn't a Welsh one at the time.
@@howardsmith9342 are the actors portraying a Welsh unit?
The beauty of this movie is how it simultaneously condemns war outright and humanizes the dreadfulness of battle. Anyone hating on this great film claiming it glorifies the British Empire is missing the entire point.
I saw this movie in the theater, as a kid, and was quite impressed! I have seen it several times since. However, this "final attack" never happened. The last of the surviving Zulu attackers left the area around midnight, the night before. A useful book:
"Roake's Drift 1879", by Ian Knight
HERE,HERE!
@@Thorr-kl6jlI would love to see it in theatres. Unfortunately I can’t time travel 😢
I find that a lot of people these days miss the point, unless the media tells them it’s the right thing to say or do.
To be fair, anyone who thinks this film glorified the British empire doesn't know the British were the good guys in this war
The recoil of the Martini-Henry is fierce, and some of the soldiers carried on firing with dislocated shoulders.
Dislocated shoulders? Was it really that severe?
Dude wut? 🤦🏻♂️
@@BrotherMonkey - eh up?
Ya, like firing the large mini ball round in civil war rifles, ouch..
I suppose in a battle like that a dislocated shoulder would be the least of your concerns
What a genuinely terrifying experience that must have been, for both sides.
@@WorldofTanksVideo 😆😆😆👌👌👌🔥🔥🔥
@@WorldofTanksVideo at least they could defend themselves without getting charged
@@WorldofTanksVideo lmao
@@WorldofTanksVideo My vote for funniest youtube post of the year.
The bravery of the men on both sides demands admiration
Colour Sgt. Major Bourne lived till the age of 91 . He fought in the trenches of the first world war in the rank of colonel and died in his house on VE Day, 1945 at 16 Kings Hall Road, Beckenham, Kent.. On google earth street view you can see the blue disc on the front wall above the front door
If he had lived another 18 years he could have seen the film
@The Canadian Crusader It boggles your mind doesn't it
I 'll never forget that scene with the young private soldier responding to the missionary's cry "You're all going to die" . He asks, "Why us Colour Sergeant, why us?" To which the Colour Sergeant replies, "Because we're 'ere lad, there's nobody else".
He was awarded the rank of LT Colonel on his retirement, he obtained the rank of company sergeant major as a serving solder !!
What a hero , I would loved to have met him .
The banging on the shields is actually unnerving
Why?
No it ain't
That was why the Native Americans yelled, it unsettled your enemy. Psychological war fare. As with the Rebel yell. Scared the Yankees.
The Scots used their bagpipes to unnerved their foe.
Read military history, it's fascinating.
That's the point
That's the point
For those who might not know: while there is no account of singing by the defenders at Rorkes Drift, there is an account of an equally incredible last stand in which the defenders are reported to have sung: the Shangani Patrol, also known as the Last Stand of Wilson’s Patrol. It occurred during the Ndebele War and was a last stand by roughly 30 men against several thousand Ndebele warriors. I would be willing to bet this scene was inspired by that occurrence.
i though both sides were blessing their weapons
Michael Caine: " Nothing to worry about, lads. We've got guns. They don't. "
@@reynaldoflores4522 Except they captured a bunch at Isandlwana. Fortunately, they didn't have much time to practice their marksmanship.
Isn’t that the one where they had Maxim guns and annihilated the other side?
@rebinred495 Not that one no. The last stand of the Shangani Patrol (or Wilson’s Patrol) involved 34 mounted British troopers who became surrounded by several thousand Ndebele (also referred to as Matabele) warriors and refused to surrender (likely because the Ndebele viewed surrender as cowardice and would have butchered them). They continued fighting for hours, using their dead horses for cover, until all their bullets were used up. They then stood up, shook hands with one another and began to sing. The final charge by the Ndebele resulted in vicious hand to hand fighting until only Wilson remained leaning against a rock with multiple wounds. A young warrior then ran forward and killed him with his spear.
The Ndebele apparently left all the bodies intact (their typical practice was to mutilate the corpses of their enemies), and the inDuna who had been present there commented on it saying that “ The white men died so bravely we would not treat them as we do the cowardly Mashonas and others.”
It was a truly remarkable last stand on a similar level as Rorkes Drift.
Although British in the early eighties I worked in the steel works now close to the battle site. The zulus loved to recreate this battle. We the white men would line up in ranks, whilst the zulus would sing, chant, stamp and then charge holding brush handles. Absolutely terrifying! The challenge was to hold your ground without taking a step back. None of us able to do it. After scaring us half to death they would laugh and hug us. Yet This was during the apartheid period with all the political troubles. Zulus have a very British sense of humour and I grew to love them.
Fantastic story
Well that's just absurdly wholesome
Thank you for sharing that, put a smile on my face.
“Zulus have a very BRITISH sense of humor” colonization achieved
Ha Ha great .
Remember watching this as a kid. Brilliant movie. The Zulus final charge, combined with their singing, probably one of the most powerful scenes in cinema.
Shaka Zulu was great warrior leader who welded his tribe together in a fierce fighting force. He was also a brutally sadistic dictator who dealt with insubordination and challengers to his rule with an iron hand and cruel punishments. But he formed thr most fearsome resistance to British Colonial rule over that part of Africa.
@@ms.annthrope415 And Shaka was a master of strategy as well.
Just the warriors charging into gunfire with no protection was a great show of bravery cause they were fighting intruders in their land who wanted to enslave them .writing this in February 2022 during the covid.stay safe people.
@@ms.annthrope415 Indeed, he used to massacre thousands of captives, taken in battle, in public celebrations lasting days, for the amusement of his people. But that generally gets overlooked, if not excused.
@@edwardmoore5325 They were doped to the eyeballs on the equivalent of crystal meth. But sure, even in European armies, a liberal distribution of alcohol was often conducive to victory.
That moment at 4:14 when he give the order to 'cease firing' and the silence is so sudden that you hear it echoing in the hills is haunting!
Amazing courage on both side of the battle, this is how a war film should be!
Such a good movie. Could have done the Zulu so wrong, but instead they come across as brave, noble, and proud. And the English were humanized well. You really didn't hate either side.
Same goes for zulu dawn. Both sides showed courage. Brilliant set of films
Well ...English were the ones colonising and knowing what they did to the places they colonised I did want them to die. Although I know it was a historical movie I was still rooting for the Zulu. But I get what you mean.
@Asderei
I’m not defending British colonialism here, but you do get that the Zulu Kingdom also was an Empire? As in; defeating, displacing and conquering other tribes like the Soshangane, Zwangendaba and the Ndebele. Taking their land, cattle and women etc.
War, Empire and colonisation is not only a British thing. it’s not even only a white man thing, sorry to break it.
@@TommyGlint never said such a thing. I’m Portuguese, we basically restarted colonialism after the vikings. And i’m not one of those delusional or uneducated people that think natives african tribes and kingdoms and native north and south americans were peaceful. We are all humans, and humans wage war unfortunately. I get that.
But you have to admit that there is a difference between 1- England fighting Scotland, the Zulu fighting another african tribe and 2- England colonialism, imperialism and the trans atlantic slave trade.
I don’t doubt that if Native Americans were the ones with the technology that europeans had that they probably would have done the same thing. And I know it’s not a white thing. White is just a colour of skin. But in this case it was the white people and it was the English, and for simply that reason i wish they got pushed back and out of Africa.
@@ericsandrade BRITISH!
The British had 20,000 rounds of ammo on hand at the start of the battle. At the end, they had only 900 rounds left before help arrived.
And they caused less than 1000 fatalities with those 19000 rounds fired
@@sacredband7089 More than that, most wounded Zulus later died ... herbal remedies from witch doctors can't fix a wound from a .577 bullet.
And the Zulu had none.British sense of fairness!
@@theraven5935 They did have a sense of honor. Story at Isandlwana that a unit of British soldiers had been holding off the Zulus but ran out of ammunition. There was a slight pause before the final rush. The Zulu's said that the officer or NCO in charge went to all his men still alive to shake their hands one last time. After it was over, the Zulus arranged all the dead into the formation that had use during the fighting. They also left shields & spears as tokens of respect for brave fighters.
The Raven All’s fair in love and war. Or haven’t you heard?
Love the echo when Stanley Baker yells "cease firing", it's haunting
...and he's half frozen with his pistol pointing forward. It doesn't get any better.
@@bobmalack481 Stanley Baker is supreme x
It matches the echo of each firing line
Joe Ah you mean raiding African countries with no guns and ending their people? Of course
Fantastic
One thing I like about this scene is that at 4:20 the officer gives the correct command “cease firing” instead of common “cease fire”. Cinema rarely gets details like this correct.
It was 1879 - may be the British Army had different commands then
My father served in this regiment in the 1960's. I couldn't be more proud as a Welshman. God, Queen and country💂👍
It didn’t become The South Wales Borderers until 1881, or so. Can’t remember exactly.
It had by 1879 indeed begun to recruit in Wales, where its home depot had been moved to some years before. But at best it was 50/50 welsh and not-welsh.
I’m from Scandinavia, so it doesn’t matter to me, and if you want to be proud, by all means be so :-)
One of the best battle scenes ever presented in a film.
I agree but historically it NEVER happened !!
@@philipandreicuk5356 There was a battle. There were British and Zulus killed. The film might not be 100% accurate, but it's a film. Not a documentary. But the Battle of Rorke's Drift definitely did happen.
@@philipandreicuk5356 - If I wanted an historical evening I would read accounts about battles. If I want to watch a good movie, I'll watch this one.
@@DarkLight753 they alter historical accuracy to make it more enjoyable for viewers
To what viewers white viewers
This video is so British that it colonized my pc
Colonised
now it's singing "God save the queen" while making tea
Gran verdad...from argentina...good bye
no te hagas, nosotros empezamos la guerra y con la pero estrategia
It's thoroughly british at it's best when we ruled most of the world
Cinematic perfection. A film of great importance and significance. Far ahead of it's time and tragically underrated.
In your opinion.
@@georgeburns8447 And my opinion.
Makes me proud to be British. Forget my history? Never.
Not everything the British did was great, but they've done a lot of really good things. The history of countries is what it is, and Britain's can generally be proud to be British.
Certain people these days want to rewrite and delete British history, history cannot be deleted it reports actual events!
Proud of wholesale murder?
@@saeedvazirian yes of course as its part of my history and heritage, are the zulu's proud of their wholesale murder ? I would hazard a guess and say yes, and you what heritage are you? Are you proud of the wholesale murder carried out by your ancestors? What can we do about history ? Ignore it? Erase it? Neither works if we erase it we will repeat the same dreadful mistakes and if we ignore it we do the vanquished and Victor's a disservice. You choose and I'll change my view if you can convince me. How is South Africa copeing at the moment?
@@saeedvazirian in fact I've got to say this people like yourself will never ever take away my feelings of pride in being British just because you see yourself as some left wing saviour. The Austro-Hungarian empire all good? A certain Mr Hitler another Austrian, all good? If your so much in love with selflessness why are you trying to stamp on my pride in my country ? Is that not rather selfish of you? Just like your country is it? Think my way or its the end for us? Finally how did the zulus become the leading military, economic and political force in that part of Africa? Democracy? Postal voting? Drawing straws? No they raped, pillaged, enslaved and butchered all others before them.
Teacher: Class we’re going on a trip to South Africa!
Girls: Omg I can’t wait to see the Elephants!
Boys:
Zulus: oh no
Damn with these comments! i see it in every place, it's so pointless.
Josh Goldsmith that’s what the British said about slavery in 1836
@@LLT8 lol
Yeah America didn’t get the hint though
Zulu : “ we have thousands of warriors we will win”
British: G U N
The Zulus had more guns than the British.
@Josh D Yes they had more. Yes they were old and outdated but they could and did still kill and over half of 32 British casualties at Rorkes Drift were via Zulu gunfire including 6 fatalities and 6 seriously wounded.
Around 1 in 5 Zulus were armed with a gun.
At Isandlwana the commander Henry Pulleine was shot dead by Zulu gunfire and the rocket battery was taken out by Zulu gunmen.
This event took place immediately after the Zulus had wiped out a much larger British force at Isandlwana. That battle is depicted in the movie _Zulu Dawn_ (not nearly as good a film as this, though). Guns alone didn’t make the difference.
@@lyndoncmp5751 the Zulu are sometimes portrayed as nothing more than a horde of tribesmen but in reality they were a vast and expansive empire with a working government and massive and regimented military of full time soldiers. Shaka Zulu was a genius battlefield tactician and their horns of the Buffalo maneuver is still considered one of the greatest attack formations in history. They also had lots of guns bought from western traders, and practically annihilated half the British forces in south Africa at islandhwana using them. I wish Hollywood would make movies about Shaka Zulu and other great African kings more instead of regurgitating the same stories about European kings and queens
The zulu also had guns
IMHO this is probably the best close in movie battle scene ever filmed. From the height of battle to sudden absolute silence is one of the most powerful moments ever filmed. Respect to the Zulus and defending garrison alike. 👍
This film beats any American war films old and new
Both sides fought with great courage and bravery, I salute both the British and the Zulu, face to face in combat, both had balls of steel.
The zulu must have been so brave attacking a force they outnumbered by 3900 men
I've been to Rourke's Drift, Natal Province, where this battle took place.......STILL (as of 1982, anyway) in the middle of NOWHERE!
Or either no choice
@Savannah Rey/ & The Ball Bags lost ..... LMFAO !
yeah but the British were firing those steel balls out of guns
I'd be bloody shitting myself if I saw 4000 Zulu's hurtling towards me. God, redcoats had such gigantic balls.
They were trained to be disciplined under stressful situations and historically very few Zulus actually reached the barricades, most of the Zulu casualties were from rifle fire
No they were cowards who took advantage of Africa and enslaved millions of African-American's and forced them to be Christians please reach this a friend as people should be informed on this topic this conflict by the way is called scramble for Africa.
Juan Lopez They attempted to shift the cultures of barbaric tribes to a more civilized and sophisticated culture, reflecting European ideals. Oh yes, how cowardly and oppressive indeed.
Juan Lopez The British were one of the First European nations to ABOLISH slavery, and did more to destroy the slave trade in East Africa than any other country.
As to "forcing them to be Christian" that was sort of a Spanish thing, wasn't it?
***** yes quite sorry about that went back to do some research and realize my uninformed I am
I just have to say this last scene is terrific. The whole time you're impressed at the tactics (falling back and volley fire), excited that the red coats have finally turned the tables and are winning, and at the end utterly horrified at the mass death that has just taken place. It's great because it doesn't tell you how to feel, it lets you feel it for yourself, truly great cinema.
Looked like a saturday night in chicago.
Because you Americans can't get enough of the British Army fighting your Battles for you.
@@downunderrobyou can’t be fn serious…. I had multiple family members die on German and French soil bailing you Euro scuzz out because of your penchant for Nazism. Do STFU…
when they say they dont make films like this any more , they certainly don't what a classic.
Another one is Waterloo 15 thousand extras from the Russian army great film
Man it's refreshing to see this in 2020 with all the shit going on they will never make a film like this ever again.
Why not?
you're being very melodramatic
@Roy B no no- they would first show how the zulu was a perfect communist nation that landed on the moon and created the first flying cars.
@BifeWeater then lived on Mars achieved world peace and everyone got what they wanted
@@vivaan7653 the zulus never made the steam engine. The OP is making a joke about how modern society favours black people
The devastating effect of the Volley Fire System. I don't know If it was actually used in the Battle of Rorkes Drift, but it was used to great effect many times by the British during the age of Musket and Rifle, most notably at Waterloo
I assume not but could be wrong certainly not all of them if they did because many soldiers shot through small slits they created in the buildings and such. They also weirdly only start shooting in the film at close range.
@@Subutai_Khan for Maximum devastation
@@tavish4699 Obviously it has the greatest effect up close but these rifles could shoot you from surprisingly far away so against a large group of Zulus it makes more sense to begin harassing the Zulus with shot at a longer range. Not their maximum range, but well within it. Then you can deliver volleys at close range once they make it because these rifles reload quickly.
A .577 could go through 3 people at once
I watched this film in high school 20 years ago, and I remember shedding a tear during this scene. 20 years later, it still brings tears to my eyes. One of the great battle scenes in the history of film.
When a singing competition goes bad.
lol
Pitch Perfect in a nutshell
Zulues won.
3:55 an amazing detail you can only get with real actors instead of cgi. The soldiers flinch when the shot goes off directly above their head. The actors would be firing blanks of course but a blank still fires something out of the gun so you get that effect where the actors flinch from that. It’s amazing.
Yeah that’s a good observation. Even though most of these actors would have done some national service and been around guns, it still makes them flinch. Natural reaction.
It might just be unburnt powder but it's still one hell of a boom. I was at an reenactment one of the Americans had a 12 gauge and even from over 100 yards away it sounded like it was right next to my head.
Randomly Entertaining why in the hell was he discharging a 12 gauge at a reenactment? Better question, why did he have a real gun at a reenactment?
Real guns are used at re-enactments all the time, although they mostly use blank rounds.
Mr. Numbers I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a god damn safety hazard that is. You have a group of renactors and someone wants someone dead they load a live round and theyve killed someone. I find what you said very difficult to believe
With this scene, when Chard says cease firing, its truly deafening, one of the few times I've ever felt that
I saw this movie with my best friend George in 1966 at the Prince of Wales theatre in Toronto on a Saturday matinee. We are just 10 years old at the time. We saw over and over on that day. It is still a great movie even after all these years.l am now 68 years old when l which this particular l am 10 years again for a moment. How time flys.
Considering it was 1963, it was a very well balanced movie. Yes, ultimately it is a film and liked all films ever made, they take liberties with reality, however now in my 40s, I also enjoy the early emphasis on Zulu culture and hospitality and Cy Enfield didn't have to add on the fake ending compliment that the Zulus let the British live, rather than just left to 're-supply and regroup.
It's a brilliant piece if cinema and now in HD stands the test of cinematic time.
Be sure to read the many accounts on the internet of this very complex engagement.
It was actually worse than depicted.
Whilst the depleted cavalry from Ishandlwana did initially engage the Zulus, a whole Company also bailed on Chard resulting in the remaining command shooting at those who fled.
Random Survivors from Ishandlwana did reach Rorkes Drift and kept running.
Can you even imagine the horror of being left knowing the entire column had been massacred and you were next?
They went through 20,000 rounds and only had 900 left the next morning. So yes, had even a fraction of the Zulu force returned they would have been wiped out.
However the joint decision by Bromhead, Chard and Reynolds to stand and fight rather than flee and be caught in open country was remarkable.
Different breed. Different times.
RIP all involved.
Thank you for a polite, honest comment instead of a racist diatribe.
Great response and thanks for your insight.
I think that the ending, although inaccurate, is actually the best thing they could have done. Both the Zulu army and the British army are very proud warrior cultures, and there's probably no better way to have ended it than to have them marching off saluting each other.
Also, I find it absolutely terrific that they managed to get the great grandson of the actual Zulu king Cetawayo to play him in the film. That must have been such an uncanny and amazing experience.
This movie actually helped the liberation of South Africa. It even stars future anti-apartheid fighters.
64.'
It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.-Robert E Lee.
Never heard that quote but it's kind of circular logic.
Harry Zhang From the battle of Fredericksburg,VA. Lee and his men were entrenched on the heights overlooking the town, Porter Alexander had every inch of the field presighted with artillery, yet Gen Burnside still insisted on sending wave after wave of bluecoats up that hill to be slaughtered.
@@usafvet100 the same happened at Picketts Charge. And after the Rebels retreated, the Union soldiers started shouting "FREDERICKSBURG! FREDERICKSBURG! FREDERICKSBURG!" at the Rebels as a final insult of the battle.
from civ5
Believe me, nothing except a battle lost can be half so melencholy as a battle won.
Wellington after Waterloo.
There is more to the quote.
The sound of the volley fire at the end is amazing
We watch this regularly on DVD and still love it. I have read the book about the actual battle of Rorke's Drift and Michael Caine's autobiography about this being his first major movie roll
Zulus:guys this is the final attack
The British Commander:FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE
If Only Zulus had something they could have used as projectiles
@@parapoliticos52 they had muskets soo...
@@parapoliticos52 spears can also be used as projectiles, they had rifles too from isandlwana
These guys had serious balls
The Zulus, yes they did.
+goatboyful Both sides
Dom Somethin Indeed.
150 British red coats vs around 5000 Zulus. I think you can see who have the bigger balls just there
+bluewardog Wasnt it closer to 100?
I haven't seen many depictions of this style of warfare that convey how absolutely devastating volley fire is outside of this movie.
The original "bring a knife to a gunfight" event.
The Zulus actually had British rifles at Rorkes Drift due to the catastrophe at Isandlwana
If you bring enough knives, such as they did at Isandlwana, the outcome will be much different.
Assegais were deady weapons!
The guns were brought to them
It worked for the zulu before, their brilliant tactics made it more effective than one would think
one does not simply "attack" the British red coats
Your right - the Zulu's _charged_ the British Red Coats.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus THATS EVEN WORSETHEY LITERALLY RAN INTO THEIR BAYONETTES
Classy Gamer Why not... seemed to work at Isandlwana, Intombe, and Hlobane :)
You can't often find a film clip on RUclips featuring the British without running into at least one obnoxious nationalist with some variant of a Union Jack as his profile picture.
Boondock Saint That's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about. Is it possible for you to fathom that I perfectly well understand the fact that the British Army was disciplined, professional, and the bravery of her personnel usually (but not always) allowed Britain to punch above its military weight? I'm not understating or denying the fact that the British Empire had extremely effective, well-organized and technologically advanced armed forces. What I take issue with is the compulsion with which some of you English feel the need to pompously and pretentiously throw your history around everywhere you can and show everybody else how nationalistic you are. It's obnoxious to the extreme.
There's also the tendency of these kinds of people to downplay or insult the bravery and military capability of various indigenous groups, as well as their culture and entire societal structures; ethnocentrism.
There's nothing wrong with the Union Jack inherently. The reason I mentioned it was to point out that these obnoxious nationalist types regularly use some variant of it as their profile picture - you can always tell one because of it.
One of the great scenes in movie history.
Think the Colour Sergeant - Bourne - was played brilliantly by Nigel Green. Saw a shsort interview with him recently - it was his favourite role to date. He especially liked that Bourne didn't go around shouting all day - raised his voice yes - but only really shouted when he wanted a stretcher barer for the wounded. I liked that he had a sense of humor as well - even when he was calling the roll towards then end - he realised the silly comments from the men were just their way of celebrating they were alive
I fear a film like this wouldn't be made today under cries of racism, even though it's just war.
A entire history people'd be unwilling to touch.
DeFactoLeader They would do so; however, the British would clearly be demonized by the producer.
DeFactoLeader
No one would get it right anyway. It would favor one side or the other. But these days no one wants to see a bunch of imperialists killing natives in their own country. Clearly it was cool back in 1964.
DeFactoLeader It can and would be made, there would just be more history to it & it would be less patriotic.
Just look at the 5 part film 'Rhodes' about Cessil Rhodes.
DeFactoLeader how many king kongs they still making
I read the British troops bayonetted the survivors at the end. They knew what the Zulus had done to the wounded in the hospital. Brutal stuff.
Didn't the wounded escape or at least some of them
@@youareveryannoying9179 Some may have done. Most found themselves on the wrong end of a bayonet.
@ASCALON "mercy killings" & "if happened at all". Well know it, its well recorded. But they just didn't take prisoners even if they had the means to treat them especially non-Europeans. Neither side did. Lets not romanticise this, both sides were brutal, no quarter was given nor taken. You weren't going to see your mates stuck with an assegai or bayonet, then treat the man that did it afterwards for his wounds.
@@philldavies7940 very true
@@philldavies7940 I think you and DM are mixing sides up. Very common on youtube especially as regards British. At Isandlwana the Zulus used their assagais to kill wounded British troops. And hunt down survivors. "IF it happened at all" is far more accurate than assuming anything negative is fact - bayonetting badly injured has been around for THOUSANDS of years in war. To allow for quicker death for dying or even a religious thing to let their soul out as apparently was the reason for the zulus actions
Simply amazing camera work.
Loved this for almost 50 years when I first watched it.
Big film cameras not a digital camera.
It's a cliche to say 'best film scene ever', but, at the age of 39, I can't think of another scene I have watched literally hundreds of times over the decades and never get tired of. It's just perfect, spine-tingling stuff.
True story.
Friend of mine watching this at home when the wife walks in. After a couple of minutes she asks, who are the ones in the red uniforms?
Welsh regiment replies my friend. And who are the others? She asks.
Zulus.
What are all those Zulus doing in Wales!
Brilliant
At least she didn't walk in on you watching the Zulu marriage scene. ;D
Big brain time
I'm guessing this conversation didn't take place in university housing.
@@nautifella do you know what mate, with some of the programmes on the television and the people you see on the street, I wouldn't be so sure!!
Meanwhile in Civ, Shaka could take out people in the atomic era while still being in the medieval era
10/10
Would lose 5 cities in 20 turns again
I played against the Zulus once in Civ II. They lasted as long as I allowed them to. Spear throwers don't fare well against armor,just like the Zulus didn't last long after the British army got Maxims.
Clark Liberty
I'm taking about Civ V, I swear Impi could take on tanks.
Man With A Shoe
I highly doubt it.
More like a stone age, if Zulu's are medieval, they have been inventing armor & shield from iron, or at least, chain mails. Seeing the huge gap of technology it is pathetic how British seem proud about this battle, it is like 1 man defeating 1000 babies. Not proud.
"some days your a bug ;and somedays your a windshield."
It's a great movie, love it. but, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
"It's a miracle, Sir."
"If it's a miracle Colour Sergeant, it's a Short-Chamber, point four five oh, Boxer primed miracle."
...and a bayonet, sir. With some guts behind it...
The British army had no equal in those times.
British Army had “no equal in those times” that is not correct.
The facts are that the British Army was not that effective in late 19th C…
The Imperial British Army was essentially an amateur affair and a middle weight in terms of size and power.. The armies of France and Germany were much larger than any army that Imperial Britain could muster.
A German General in the 1890s when asked how the German Army would respond in the event a British Army invaded Saxony replied “arrest them”.
The role of the 19th C British Army was essentially that of a police force tasked with keeping Pax Britannica facing mostly weak native armies like we see here. If there is any doubt about this just look at what happened immediately after the Anglo-Zulu War when Britain faced the Transvaal Boers in 1888-81 in the 1st Anglo-Boer… Britain was not only humiliated but seen to be without the will to fight when confronted with an enemy that had access to similar weapons. It also set in motion events that lead to the 2nd Anglo-Boer War of 1899 - 1902 and WW1. In the 2nd ABW we see stunning ineptitude with humiliating one defeat after another at the hands of the Boers. it took Imperial Britain (at the height of its power) 3 years and over a half a million troops from all across the Empire to defeat a rag-tag army of admittedly well armed and mobile Boers who’s numbers rarely exceeded 10,000… Arguably it was this public incompetence that emboldened Imperial German in its calculation as to how powerful an enemy Britain would be in the event of war.. we know the answer to that … World War One.
MartinIDavies They had the best military record of their era. They often defeated 10 times their even when their opponent had gun too.
12thpanzer
"best military record of their era" really I've just provided an argument that was not the case.. Maybe you can provide us with 2 or 3 specific examples of Britain engaging in modern warfare with serious competitors... by which I mean Great Powers say from 1815 thru 1914…
MartinIDavies 2 or 3 specific examples you want? How about 28...
Gurkha War 1813-1816
Third Anglo-Maratha War 1817-1818
First Ashanti War 1823-1831
First Anglo-Burmese War 1824-1826
First Anglo-Afghan War 1839-1842
First Opium War 1839-1842
First Anglo Marri War 1840
First Anglo-Sikh War 1845-1846
Second Anglo-Burmese War 1852-1853
Crimean War 1853-1856
Anglo-Persian War 1856-1857
Second Opium War 1856-1860
Indian Rebellion 1857
New Zealand land wars 1845-1872
Second Anglo-Sikh War 1848-1849
Second Ashanti War 1863-1864
Bhutan War 1864-1865
Third Ashanti War 1873-1874
Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-1880
Anglo-Zulu War 1879
Second Anglo Marri War 1880
First Boer War 1880-1881
Third Anglo-Burmese War 1885
Mahdist War 1891-1899
Fourth Ashanti War 1894
Anglo-Zanzibar War 1896 Shortest war in history lasted 38 minutes
Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901
Second Boer War 1899-1902
Then notice how many of them were fought at the same time.
MartinIDavies BUT - during the American Civil War, both the US Army or General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia could have beat any army on earth - this belief was held by the Prussians and the English. In 1862 the was a treaty signed by the CSA and the USA stating that should the areas of the USA or the CSA be invaded by a foreign power, the US and CS governments would set side their differences and deal with a common threat. After the treaty was signed and British general made the comment "All the armies of the world could not by force, drink from the waters of the Ohio"
The ending where the redcoats could only stare where you can hear a pindrop is so powerful. There was no cheering, just silence in response to the deaths and the fact they survived.
Thats incredible
Organization, Bravery, Strategic intelligence..This is how Britain ruled the world. And that's coming from a French.
Long live to our neighbours. We must save what our ancestors built
Indeed ;)
thom v GOD SAVE EUROPE!!!!!
at least bravery is viable and definitely organized
That's what started WWI also! Great Britain didn't like the idea of Germany becoming a trade rival, so they and certain "others" blamed Germany for the world's problems and went to war against them.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
actually, the war started because RUSSIA, France's Ally, mobilized to fight Austro-Hungary, Germany's ally, over a dispute between Austro-Hungary and Serbia (also a Russian Ally) that culminated in the assassination of the Austrian heir to the throne.
One of the greatest films they ever done
As an old soldier who served 30 years as a gunner with 13 years overseas including a combat tour in Vietnam, the movie and this scene in particular touches me on several levels.
Simply put, this was an incredible movie.
Professionalism and Discipline in the face of death. Wow!
Yes, the Zulu were impressed at how the British soldiers were so disciplined to stand their ground like stones against such odds. The other African nations the Zulu fought were prone to break and flee long before that point.
That was until they came to Ceylon or now Sri Lanka,for the first time an entire British platoon of 10,000 was completely annihilated and they broke entirely at the Battle of the Kandyan pass. Every conventional miltary is weak against Guerilla warfare which the ancient Kandyan army where superb in, also note the Kandyan pass had only one entry and that was a dense jungle mountainous path with a bottleneck entry point which proved a fatal ambush point
Vinesh Perera That was the Portuguese, not the British
guts, discipline,good leadership.
And a bayonet sir, with some guts behind it
Something that lacks in present UK
Stanley Baker wonderful performance as Lieutenant John Chard. He always keeps a vigilant watch on his men's morale like the candle's flame, day and night as the Zulu's attack.
One of the best films ever
Saw this film on its release as an 11 year old boy. It made such an impression on me I’ve watched it at about thirty times since. Inspiring action made with respect and empathy for both sides, and the better for it. No “kick-ass” stupidity, just great acting of a heroic event.
Same here, I was 9 at the time.
I remember seeing this film as a child and this scene always amazed me, 25 years later and it still does.
I still never get tired of watching it!
Still watching a great film55 years later
Ok, so I get it, the Zulus wanted to feature in the Euro Song Contest and the Welsh lads tried to explain nicely that there was the little disqualifying factor of them not being European - which so pissed the Zulus they charged.
8 months late but they were also missing a Tenor.
The chant of the Zulu is absolutely chilling. It sounds like a chorus of anguished, bitter souls that have come back to punish the living
Let me make something clear. These men were not all welsh! 32 of them were Welsh, 11 of them were Irish, and 49 of them were English. The rest are unknown. This battle does not belong to one people.
Actually it was a Warwickshire regiment, it could not have been more English.
@Tovarish Ted no they were not
interior wall the us govnemt tell eceryine that
@Ryan not anymore
Ryan The kinda Britain I like, nobody but the English, Scots, welsh and northern irish can fight eachother, anyone else will just get destroyed
film like this would never be allowed to see the light of day if it was made in modern times, fuck political correctness
True!
Hollywood fears themes like Nat Turner or the Jamaican Maroons who destroyed the British army of enslavement
+Fr0st1989 best film ever made. fuck pc.
Lukas Re it's whites winning a fight against blacks; the film would be crucified for "promoting colonialism" and "racism" despite being a historical piece
+Fr0st1989 especially since white people are killing black people.... Dam hypocritical black culture...
+Fr0st1989 Clearly you've never seen Django (2012) N-word used 110 times...
The Zulu's bravery is to be commended. They knew they were up against technologically advanced weaponry, but they came on. Their leadership betrayed them though and, like the British, wanted to expand their sphere of influence and garner the resources and benefits available in that region.
All time great double feature at our local hip art house around 1981: Zulu / The Man Who Would Be King. That was a glorious evening of movie watching, both left an impression. Unfortunately we've lost all but a couple of those cool little theaters in my city, which is sad.
doesn't matter what your opinion is skin colour religion or beliefs 100 vs 4000 takes absolute balls of major proportion and if ya can't respect them for putting up such a fight knowin they had just beat an army of over a thousands red coats and didn't run they deserve respect and when they sing it's touching
Adam Migas ..The British do not frighten easily.
True...Bravery is always to be respected. My father was a Marine in WW2, was wounded several times, the last time he was shot on Iwo Jima. He never expressed any,anti Japanese or anti Asian prejudice, just said he respected his enemy because the were courageous and willing to fight to the death.
Gtfoh
Agreed. I am Canadian but my grandfather fought in the German army in World War II. He never badmouthed anyone, not the Poles, French, Brits, or Russians he fought against. He was thrust into a horrible war that he wanted no part of. He did his duty as a soldier for his country. He respected his enemy as much as his fellow soldiers or his countrymen. Most of the men on all sides were just teenagers and young men pulled away from their families, girlfriends,farms, schools, jobs because of the lunatics that ran their perspective countries. Much honour and respect to all soldiers of all wars.
Gives me chill bumps
I can't imagine anything more scary in the world than waiting for the zulus to charge. Just hearing them yell and bash their shields.
The british soldiers had alot of courage in this war.
The soldiers at this battle were all steady men. The officers at the battle of Intombe were useless.
470 Voortrekkers (Boere) held off and routed between 10000-20000 Zulu warriors, The Battle Of Blood River, they just make a lot of noise the noble zulu warriors, that's about all.
Not to take anything away from the British you understand. But it's how they rolled the zulu's, fear and intimidation got them a long way, hell it still is to this very day, aka the anc.
Nevyn Tanis
When saying that i cant imagine anything more scary than to wait for the zulus to charge i didnt mean specifically this battle or this anglo-zulu war. I meant in general just to stand and wait for an almost certain death. But the thing that is scary about this battle is that they are standing in a ridge with zulus standing on all sides and just watching them doing their war cries.
Sorry but ancient Europeans had much scarrier battle charges than this....
Augustus XV If you've not picked up on it, the opening scene in "Gladiator" has the Germanic tribe doing the identical chant to the one we hear from the Zulus in this film. The sincerest form of flattery.
No cell phones, no selfies just everyone living the moment. The youth of today have missed out....
I must have seen it on the television when I was ten or so. I do remember not moving one inch or talk during the whole movie. It left a permanent impression. Brilliant movie all around.
Look at the front row of Brits, that's how we took the knee in the past
love that comment cop, fuck taking the knee for anything else
@@stuartinglis8334 ?
.. yeah back in the time we used these tactics....
@@stuartinglis8334 the national anthem can fuck itself. We sing Dixie
@@ViktoriousDead 😂
This is what it feels like to own a liquor store in Ferguson.
REGGIN RETNUH epic
Damn....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Except the white guys would be Koreans today.
100% Savage haha
REGGIN RETNUH hahah have you paid attention to what’s currently happening in South Africa??? Karma is a bitch!!!! And your time is coming soon.. keep playing
Great movie. Brave lads on both sides
Most beautiful Zulu chant at the beginning, wish there was a clear recording of this.
Detroit in a few years.
ahahah
American blacks in urban areas are too undisciplined. They could not fight as organized troopers. Their attacks would founder and fail within hours.
Ikr I'm saving up for my gun
+John Molloy I cut grass for a guy who was a police officer in Detroit and his buddy who was also a Detroit cop died today from a shooting right by my church
EnergeticWaves right now
Discipline - Tactics - Equipment - Leadership - Sacrifice - Will to fight....Warrior code.
Martini Henry guns, rifled and breech loading...
1:24 when 2 schools see each other
Some people just don't understand that this movie doesn't demonize or glorify any side at all. The protagonists were the soldiers and the antagonist was war. And that's quite impressive since this was produced in the 1960s.
Please do consider that this movie was made before the huge anti - racist movements began, so they could have shown the Zulus as dishonourable barbarians. They didn´t though, and showed both perspectives. That makes this movie great.
The First Reich of Rome despite what most people would assume. The zulus were good warriors, and had organised armies and military strategy. What they lacked was technology.
John BDD Truth be told, the British were too...
Agreed and I'm not condoning the British. Very Few Conquering nations have never been benevolent to the people conquered. The point is that the British were doing no different than any other conquering nation through the history of the world. And to hold them to a higher standard than other nations because they were a predominantly white race engaged in Imperialism is not fair.
Back in the times of choice you mean? Only white people can be made fun out of or depicted negatively.... They will never be happy, the anti racist movements weren't about equality?
Dez Alan I don’t understand what you’re going It.
I was drinking coca cola, after this clip it became a cup of ceylon tea.
I think this is one of the few films that really depicts the horrors of war accurately and respectfully
Never noticed till now, when Chard calls for the cease firing order you can hear his voice echo over the sudden silence. Loved this film and it continues to amaze
Military discipline over numbers, wins every time.
Except at Isandlwahna the day before.
+Matt Male not all the time. weapons play a big part in that.
The Battle Of Trafalgar in a nutshell.
+Matt Male What about Russia vs Germany?
+Theo Fullerton The Germans would have won had the US not intervened. A German victory was imminent before the tide turned.
Stanley Baker (Lieutenant Chard) did it for me, Color Sergeant and Michael Caine roles were great, but as Michael Caine said after the battle ended..."You did it." A masterful defense of the outpost saved the day. 140 against 4,000 Zulu's with ONE shot rifles and a bayonet, not 600 round machine guns or field cannon, a STUNING Brit victory. With a loss of only 17 men and no field cannon makes this even more incredible. Superior defensive tactics, regiment dicipline, and improvised logistics of the moment made the difference and prevented another Islandwanda slaughter. Robert at 67.
disciline.
Zulu is one of the best!
Another movie to see.. Play Dirty.
A fantastic film based on a true story and battle, understandable why so many medals were awarded, everyone deserved
WELSHMEN WILL NOT YIELD!
Jordan Isaac The defenders were mostly from the B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.
I'm aware of that.. In case you ain't noticed, that's what they sing...
Jordan Isaac Warwickshire is NOT part of Wales. In case you hadn't noticed....
The song goes "Welshmen will not yield"...I don't give a toss about what companies made up the regiments..the song I was referring to
Jordan Isaac The song? Oh, you mean the song that was written back in 1964?
I'm always glad to meet people interested in history.