Zulu 1964
The film is set in the Zulu region of South Africa, during the war between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. It depicts the story of the second of 8 battles that took place during this war, the Battle of Rorke’s Drift on January 22, 1879. The movie begins with the first battle, the Battle of Isandlwana, where the Zulus completely destroy a large British garrison. A missionary named Otto Witt and his daughter Margareta warn a small British outpost at Rorke’s Drift about an impending attack they learned about at a Zulu wedding. The inexperienced Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead is in charge of a team of 139 men at the outpost. Lieutenant John Chard, a more senior army engineer, takes command as Bromhead considers abandoning the post. Despite being vastly outnumbered by the highly trained Zulu warriors, the British soldiers put up a fierce resistance using their firearms and a few captured rifles. Over two days, they withstand the Zulu’s skilled military tactics. When it seems like the Zulus will overwhelm them, the Zulus unexpectedly retreat, showing respect for the British soldiers’ bravery. A local Afrikaner advisor at the British outpost explains that the Zulus stopped fighting because they admired the British soldiers’ courageous defense.
