Product Code Database
Zulu Dawn is a 1979 American adventure film war film directed by Douglas Hickox and written by Anthony Storey and Cy Endfield. It is based on Endfield's book of the same name about the historical Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 between British Empire and Zulu Kingdom forces in South Africa.
Zulu Dawn features an ensemble cast led by Burt Lancaster, Peter O'Toole, Simon Ward, and Nigel Davenport. Chronologically it precedes the smaller Battle of Rorke's Drift, which also had opposing British and Zulu forces. Zulu (1964) was a film about the latter battle.
Frere issues an ultimatum to the Zulu king, Cetshwayo, demanding that he dissolve the Zulu military; an indignant Cetshwayo rebuffs the demand, providing Lord Chelmsford and Frere with a casus belli against the Zulu. Despite objections from prominent individuals in the Cape Colony and Britain, Frere authorises Lord Chelmsford to command a British expeditionary force to Anglo-Zulu War.
The British expeditionary force marches into the Zulu Empire, with Lord Chelmsford directing it towards the Zulu capital, Ulundi. Eager to bring the war to a swift conclusion, the British become increasingly frustrated as the Zulu military adopted a Fabian strategy, refusing to engage in a pitched battle; a few Skirmisher occurred between British and Zulu Reconnaissance with indecisive results. Three Zulu warriors allowed themselves to be captured in a skirmish and are interrogated by the British, but refused to divulge any information and eventually escape, informing their commander of the British dispositions. Halfway to Ulundi, Lord Chelmsford ordered the British force to make camp at the base of Isandlwana, ignoring the advice of his Boers attendants to fortify the camp and transform his supply wagons into a laager.
Upon receiving inaccurate reports from his scouts concerning the Zulus' dispositions, Lord Chelmsford leads half the British force on a wild goose chase far from the camp against a phantom Zulu force. The next day, the British camp receives reinforcements led by Anthony Durnford, who dispatches scouts to reconnoiter the surrounding area before leaving the camp to personally scout the region. One of the British scouting parties discovers a Zulu force massing at the bottom of a nearby valley. The Zulu force quickly attacks the British camp, but are initially repulsed; however, they spread out and adopt a strategy of encircling the British, who are eventually pushed back after they run out of ammunition. A massed infantry charge by the Zulu force breaks the British lines, causing them to retreat back towards their camp. Overwhelmed by the attacking Zulus, the British force collapses and is quickly massacred.
Zulu warriors quickly hunt down any British survivors fleeing the battle, while several British soldiers attempt an unsuccessful last stand. The British camp's commander, Colonel Pulleine, entrusts a regimental colour to his soldiers, who attempt to carry it safely back to the Cape Colony; they pass numerous dead and dying British soldiers during their journey. Eventually reaching the Buffalo River, the British soldiers are discovered and killed by Zulu warriors; the colour is captured by a Zulu. Lieutenant Vereker, who lies wounded and trapped under his fallen horse, shoots and kills the Zulu wielding the colour, who drops it into the river, where it floats out of reach of the Zulu force.
In the evening, Lord Chelmsford returns to the scene of the battle, and receives news that a Zulu force has attacked Rorke's Drift. Zulu warriors drag captured artillery back to Ulundi.
The Lamitas Property Investment Corporation financed a series of films, including several in South Africa, such as The Wild Geese (1978). The company committed about £5 million to Zulu Dawn, most of it raised from a Swiss bank, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas. HBO helped guarantee finance. Initially set at $6.5 million, the budget kept increasing. The film ultimately cost $11.75 million, despite coming in only two days over schedule. Jake Eberts was involved in raising financing; he had to guarantee Lancaster's salary when Lancaster's agent insisted on one. This meant Eberts was liable for the loan. In 1983, interest made this £450,000. Eberts spent years paying it back.
John Hurt was cast in a lead role but was refused entry to South Africa. This confused Hurt, who was not particularly active politically. It was thought South African Intelligence may have confused him with the actor John Heard, who had been arrested in an anti-Apartheid march.
In 1978, producers and financiers agreed to defer fees and no completion guarantee was in place. Norma Foster was a liaison between the South African government (notably the Minister of Information, Dr Connie Mulder) and the filmmakers; she later claimed the producers owed £20,000. Co-producers James Faulkner and Barrie Saint Clair claim they were owed £100,000 in deferred fees. Over 100 South African creditors allege they were owed £250,000. Faulkner and Saint Clair sought an injunction to block screenings until they were paid. Lamitas denied liability, claiming expenses exceeded the agreed budget, and the injunction was lifted May 21, 1979. They later offered to settle for £25 on the pound.
Japp sent his US client list to Kohn, who selected Elmer Bernstein ( The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Thoroughly Modern Millie, for the last of which Bernstein had won an Oscar). Japp negotiated the highest fee that Bernstein had ever been paid. Only after the score had been recorded at Abbey Road Studios and the film shown at Cannes did Japp find out the producers mistakenly thought they were hiring Leonard Bernstein, famed conductor and composer of dozens of orchestral compositions and film scores, notably West Side Story.
Music
In 1978, David Japp, founder and MD of London-based composers agency The First Composers Company, met producer Nate Kohn and suggested he use composer Mike Batt – an accomplished composer and arranger of orchestral music best known for his pop compositions for children's TV series The Wombles and the pop-chart hits of the songs from the series, and, in particular, for the song "Bright Eyes" from the animated film Watership Down (1978) – to commission to the score. However, shortly after the agreement was signed and the first third of the fee paid, Kohn informed Japp that the producers had changed their minds and wanted a "name" to help with the film's promotion. Devastated, Batt refused to accept the rest of the "pay or play" fee, due under the terms of the signed agreement.
Reception
The film has received mixed reviews. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Zulu Dawn has an approval rating of 50% based on 8 reviews and an average rating of 6.03/10.
External links
Categories: 1979 Films, 1970s War Films, 1970s Historical Films, American Historical Films, 1970s English-language Films, War Films Based On Actual Events, Films Directed By Douglas Hickox, Films Scored By Elmer Bernstein, Films Set In South Africa, Films Set In The British Empire, Films Shot In South Africa, Films Set In 1879, Works About The Anglo-zulu War, 1970s American Films, American Prequel Films, British Empire War Films, English-language War Films, English-language Historical Films
|
|
