The 1964 film "Zulu" tells the story from the defence of Rorke's Drift by the small garrison of British soldiers who had been assaulted by in excess of 4,000 Zulu warriors. The soldiers held out while the conflicts raged in to the night of 22/23 Jan 1879. In the daybreak, the Zulus had brought an end to the attack.
The movie stars Stanley Baker and Michael Caine with Richard Burton narrating and was a follow up to "Zulu Dawn". That motion picture told the storyline of the Battle of Isandlwana that happened earlier that day. The initial clips start with the consequences of Isandlwana as Richard Burton narrates the telegram from Lord Chelmsford informing the government of the loss of Isandlwana. Zulus are shown accumulating guns from the dead British troopers.
Before the battle, Rorke's Drift was a mission station operated by Swedish missionary Otto Witt. While Lord Chelmsford brought his men across the Buffalo River and into Zululand from Natal, a company from the 24th Regiment remained behind to watch the mission station that was being used as a hospital and a supply depot by the British. The 2 commanders were Lieutenant John Chard from the Royal Engineers played by Stanley Baker and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead of the 24th performed by Michael Caine. This was Caine's 1st starring role.
The picture shows Chard as well as some troops putting up a bridge on the Buffalo River. Bromhead returns following a hunting trip and the 2 exchange words before a scouting party arrives updating them of the calamity at Isandlwana. Chard is seen to assume overall control as he was commissioned a few months ahead of Bromhead and despite the fact that this is normal procedure, it irks Bromhead. They look at their choices with Lieutenant Joseph Ardendorff with the Natal Native Contingent (NNC) who had been just one of the few survivors out of Isandlwana. Ardendorff is performed by Gert Van den Bergh. The Afrikanner talks about the Zulu "Horns of the Buffalo"? battle tactics. Bromhead is convinced they must leave however Chard makes the decision to stand and fight on ground of their choosing.
The Reverand Otto Witt and his adult daughter also are at the mission station and attempt to have the troops to flee so as to prevent a fight. Witt convinced troopers with the NNC to leave Rorke's Drift. At that point, Chard orders Witt and his daughter to leave the mission station in their buggy. In the meantime, protective lines of mealie sacks and wagons are being positioned to boost the defensive positions by joining the store room and the hospital. This is carried out under the watch of CSM Frank Bourne performed by Nigel Green.
As the Zulu warriors made their way to attack the garrison, Boer horsemen arrive at Rorke's Drift. In spite of requests from Chard, the Boers get away from the British garrison. Soon enough the assault begins with lines of Zulu warriors squaring up with the British defences. The Zulu warriors are mown down by concentrated fire from the soldiers of the 24th and they eventually fall back. Following that, Zulu riflemen in the hillsides start up shooting down into the mission station and the British suffer their 1st deaths and injuries.
The Zulus keep probing with their attacks and in due course get into the hospital, setting fire to the roof along the way. Private Henry Hook, who has thus far been described as a good for nothing layabout, just takes control of the situation within the infirmary where he helps with a breakout of the unwell by digging through the walls of the infirmary. The survivors escape the burning infirmary over to the final redoubt near the store house as the conflicts continued into the night.
By early morning, the Zulu warriors started a war chant in preparation for a last assault. The troops of the 24th reacted by singing "Men of Harlech". The last attack see the Zulu warriors charge into a hail of British rifle fire as 3 ranks of troops fire volley upon volley straight into the onrushing Zulu warriors. With such heavy losses, the Zulu warriors finally retreat. The British begin to regroup and CSM Bourne carries out a role call. The Zulu warriors reappear on the hillsides looking over the mission station but rather than attacking, they sing in salute of the "fellow warriors".
The film concludes with Richard Burton narrating. He reads out the names of the 11 men who were awarded the Victoria Cross for the Battle of Rorke's Drift. The men who won the Victoria Cross were:
- Corporal William Wilson Allen
- Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead
- Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard
- Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton
- Private Fredrick Hitch
- Private Alfred Henry Hook
- Private Robert Jones
- Private William Jones
- Surgeon Major James Henry Reynolds
- Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess
- Private John Williams
In addition, five men were also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal:
- Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne
- Private John William Roy
- Second Corporal Michael McMahon
- Second Corporal Francis Attwood
- Wheeler John Cantwell
As with all movies centered on a true situation, there are plenty of discrepancies. A few are for artistic licence though others will be oversights for different factors.
The film depicts the 24th Regiment of Foot as a Welsh regiment. Although, it was not named the South Wales Borderers until 1881, 2 years after Rorke's Drift. There had been a significant number (about 25%) of men from Wales in B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot but the bulk came from England.
The Swedish missionary Otto Witt was shown in the picture that his daughter was grown-up. Bear in mind, his two kids were both infants. On top of that he wasn't the pacifist the motion picture implies and had made it clear he didn't oppose the British intervention with Cetshawayo.
The British weapons were the Martini-Henry which discharged a substantial .45 round. It was easily capable of causing huge injury to the human body. In the picture, the wounds on shot Zulus are tiny. In one scene in the hospital, a warrior who was battling hand to hand with Private Hook was shot in the back and Hook was unscathed. At such short range, the round from the Martini-Henry would have easily passed through the Zulu and killed Hook too.
Today, Rorke's Drift is a tourist destination for people who really want to discover more about the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.
The movie stars Stanley Baker and Michael Caine with Richard Burton narrating and was a follow up to "Zulu Dawn". That motion picture told the storyline of the Battle of Isandlwana that happened earlier that day. The initial clips start with the consequences of Isandlwana as Richard Burton narrates the telegram from Lord Chelmsford informing the government of the loss of Isandlwana. Zulus are shown accumulating guns from the dead British troopers.
Before the battle, Rorke's Drift was a mission station operated by Swedish missionary Otto Witt. While Lord Chelmsford brought his men across the Buffalo River and into Zululand from Natal, a company from the 24th Regiment remained behind to watch the mission station that was being used as a hospital and a supply depot by the British. The 2 commanders were Lieutenant John Chard from the Royal Engineers played by Stanley Baker and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead of the 24th performed by Michael Caine. This was Caine's 1st starring role.
The picture shows Chard as well as some troops putting up a bridge on the Buffalo River. Bromhead returns following a hunting trip and the 2 exchange words before a scouting party arrives updating them of the calamity at Isandlwana. Chard is seen to assume overall control as he was commissioned a few months ahead of Bromhead and despite the fact that this is normal procedure, it irks Bromhead. They look at their choices with Lieutenant Joseph Ardendorff with the Natal Native Contingent (NNC) who had been just one of the few survivors out of Isandlwana. Ardendorff is performed by Gert Van den Bergh. The Afrikanner talks about the Zulu "Horns of the Buffalo"? battle tactics. Bromhead is convinced they must leave however Chard makes the decision to stand and fight on ground of their choosing.
The Reverand Otto Witt and his adult daughter also are at the mission station and attempt to have the troops to flee so as to prevent a fight. Witt convinced troopers with the NNC to leave Rorke's Drift. At that point, Chard orders Witt and his daughter to leave the mission station in their buggy. In the meantime, protective lines of mealie sacks and wagons are being positioned to boost the defensive positions by joining the store room and the hospital. This is carried out under the watch of CSM Frank Bourne performed by Nigel Green.
As the Zulu warriors made their way to attack the garrison, Boer horsemen arrive at Rorke's Drift. In spite of requests from Chard, the Boers get away from the British garrison. Soon enough the assault begins with lines of Zulu warriors squaring up with the British defences. The Zulu warriors are mown down by concentrated fire from the soldiers of the 24th and they eventually fall back. Following that, Zulu riflemen in the hillsides start up shooting down into the mission station and the British suffer their 1st deaths and injuries.
The Zulus keep probing with their attacks and in due course get into the hospital, setting fire to the roof along the way. Private Henry Hook, who has thus far been described as a good for nothing layabout, just takes control of the situation within the infirmary where he helps with a breakout of the unwell by digging through the walls of the infirmary. The survivors escape the burning infirmary over to the final redoubt near the store house as the conflicts continued into the night.
By early morning, the Zulu warriors started a war chant in preparation for a last assault. The troops of the 24th reacted by singing "Men of Harlech". The last attack see the Zulu warriors charge into a hail of British rifle fire as 3 ranks of troops fire volley upon volley straight into the onrushing Zulu warriors. With such heavy losses, the Zulu warriors finally retreat. The British begin to regroup and CSM Bourne carries out a role call. The Zulu warriors reappear on the hillsides looking over the mission station but rather than attacking, they sing in salute of the "fellow warriors".
The film concludes with Richard Burton narrating. He reads out the names of the 11 men who were awarded the Victoria Cross for the Battle of Rorke's Drift. The men who won the Victoria Cross were:
- Corporal William Wilson Allen
- Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead
- Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard
- Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton
- Private Fredrick Hitch
- Private Alfred Henry Hook
- Private Robert Jones
- Private William Jones
- Surgeon Major James Henry Reynolds
- Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess
- Private John Williams
In addition, five men were also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal:
- Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne
- Private John William Roy
- Second Corporal Michael McMahon
- Second Corporal Francis Attwood
- Wheeler John Cantwell
As with all movies centered on a true situation, there are plenty of discrepancies. A few are for artistic licence though others will be oversights for different factors.
The film depicts the 24th Regiment of Foot as a Welsh regiment. Although, it was not named the South Wales Borderers until 1881, 2 years after Rorke's Drift. There had been a significant number (about 25%) of men from Wales in B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot but the bulk came from England.
The Swedish missionary Otto Witt was shown in the picture that his daughter was grown-up. Bear in mind, his two kids were both infants. On top of that he wasn't the pacifist the motion picture implies and had made it clear he didn't oppose the British intervention with Cetshawayo.
The British weapons were the Martini-Henry which discharged a substantial .45 round. It was easily capable of causing huge injury to the human body. In the picture, the wounds on shot Zulus are tiny. In one scene in the hospital, a warrior who was battling hand to hand with Private Hook was shot in the back and Hook was unscathed. At such short range, the round from the Martini-Henry would have easily passed through the Zulu and killed Hook too.
Today, Rorke's Drift is a tourist destination for people who really want to discover more about the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.
About the Author:
Michael Caine's performance in the film "Zulu" helped to kick start his career. He gave a superb performance in the story of the famous defence of Rorke's Drift.. Also published at Review of the Film "Zulu".
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