AdventureDramaHistoryWar

Zulu Dawn

- The sun dawned bloodied... two great armies met face to face... and the earth trembled to the sound of the Zulu death chant!

In 1879, the British suffer a great loss at the Battle of Isandlwana due to incompetent leadership.

Release Date : 1979-05-14

Language :ZuluEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : LamitasSamarkandZulu Dawn NV

Production Country : NetherlandsUnited States of AmericaSouth Africa

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Col. Anthony Durnford

Original Name : Burt Lancaster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Vereker

Original Name : Simon Ward

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel Pulleine

Original Name : Denholm Elliott

Gender : Male

Character Name : QSM Bloomfield

Original Name : Peter Vaughan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Melvill

Original Name : James Faulkner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Coghill

Original Name : Christopher Cazenove

Gender : Male

Character Name : C.S.M. Williams

Original Name : Bob Hoskins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pte Williams

Original Name : David Bradley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cpl. Storey

Original Name : Paul Copley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maj. Russell R.A.

Original Name : Donald Pickering

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Raw

Original Name : Nicholas Clay

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy Pullen

Original Name : Phil Daniels

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cpl. Fields

Original Name : Ian Yule

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sentry

Original Name : Peter J. Elliott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maj. Smith R.A.

Original Name : Brian O'Shaughnessy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elder Boer

Original Name : Jan Bruyns

Gender : Female

Character Name : S.M. Kambula

Original Name : Sydney Chama

Gender : Female

Character Name : Trooper James

Original Name : Len Sparrowhawk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Chelmsford

Original Name : Peter O'Toole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Hamilton-Brown

Original Name : Nigel Davenport

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Crealock

Original Name : Michael Jayston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Harford

Original Name : Ronald Pickup

Gender : Male

Character Name : Norris Newman

Original Name : Ronald Lacey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fannin

Original Name : Don Leonard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Harness

Original Name : Patrick Mynhardt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Milne

Original Name : Christopher Chittell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cetshwayo

Original Name : Simon Sabela

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mantshonga

Original Name : Ken Gampu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bayele

Original Name : Gilbert Tjabane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Uhama

Original Name : Abe Temba

Gender : Male

Character Name : Siswe

Original Name : Muntu Ndebele

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zulu Prisoner

Original Name : Paul Mafela

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Henry Bartle Frere

Original Name : John Mills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bishop Colenso

Original Name : Freddie Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fanny Colenso

Original Name : Anna Calder-Marshall

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr de Witt

Original Name : Kenneth Baker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs de Witt

Original Name : Claire Marshall

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lady Frere

Original Name : Vivienne Drummond

Gender : Female

Character Name : Capt. Shepstone (uncredited)

Original Name : Graham Armitage

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jackson (uncredited)

Original Name : Terrick Fitzhugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Isandhlwana Redcoat (uncredited)

Original Name : Ross Kettle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Isandhlwana Redcoat (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Richard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grenadier (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Field Hospital Casualty (uncredited)

Original Name : Ashley Waldorf

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-12-03

Though certainly epic in cinematographic terms, this is a really meandering and over-cast depiction of the Zulu defeat of the British garrison at Isandlwana at the end of the 19th century. I'm assuming it was made as a precursor of - and to capitalise upon - the far superior "Zulu" (1964) but right from the get-go it's just wordy and ponderous and, well, lacklustre. Peter O'Toole does exude a certain arrogance in his role as the Commander of the army (Lord Chelmsford) but Burt Lancaster - and his distinctly ropey accent - as "Col. Durnford", features all too sparingly to offer much more than a casual dig at the incompetencies of his boss as the Zulu and the soldiers of the Queen square up. This cast list is impressive but none of the assembled stars of stage and screen are really used to any great effect. History tells us what happens next, and the colourful action scenes are well put together with enthusiastic efforts from the Zulu themselves delivering well staged combat scenes. Sadly, though, we have to wait far too long for these to rescue this from the doldrums of colourful but procedural cinema that offers us little to nourish either our interest in the characters or in the colonial and ambitious politics of the region that prevailed at the time. Underwhelming, sorry!