Zulu Dawn

Zulu Dawn

The prequel to the jingoistic Michael Caine classic Zulu was intended to equal its predecessor in popularity, and, while it didn’t quite manage this, it’s definitely worth a watch. The movie portrayed the colonial British army’s defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana, which is mainly remembered for its being so disastrous for the red-coated boys as one of the few times that “natives” armed with spears defeated a professional army armed with cannons and rifles (notwithstanding the Zulus’ vast numerical superiority). The movie may not have had quite the punch of Zulu but it showcases good acting, big budget battle scenes and, for history geeks, a faithful representation of the actual events.