ZULU – the film: respect!

ZULU: respect!

I’ve just watched the seminal 1964 film ‘Zulu’ (with Michael Caine and Stanley Baker) and was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. Far from being a piece of tub-thumping flag waving, the film has a strong anti-war message, hinting at the insanity of colonialism and condemning the needless slaughter. It’s a great film – see it if you can!

Zulu: obscure facts!

Despite the scope and status of “Zulu”, it was made on a tiny budget of $2m, and was actor Stanley Baker’s first film as producer

Baker only had 500 Zulus to work with, when 4,000 were needed for the battle scenes. Fake Zulus were created, and you can spot them if you look carefully at them lining up on the hilltops, as they have no legs!

Look out for the occasional appearance of a Timex or two on the wrists of the Zulu extras – it’s how they were paid as the film was made in apartheid era South Africa!

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