Zulu Dawn

This review discusses the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Blu Ray 2013 Severin release compared to the older DVD version.. This to best guide potential purchasers; Amazon unfortunately combines reviews of all versions which in turn can confuse those seeking guidance. I also discuss the Film and its extras .CONTEXT OF REVIEW:Here it really matters. I watched and listened to the Blu Ray version using my Oppo 103 Darbee Ed. player set to 40, image seen on my Mitsuibishi DLP 54inch screen, sound thru my Snells left/right and Polk center speaker . Audio selected, via disc option, was;Dolby Digital.. Sound processed by an Onkyo TX-SR707,a relatively higher end Receiver I have reviewed on Amazon. A second sound option on the disc itself (DTS-HD) was experimented with but the Dolby Digital 2.0 worked best. Lastly, I own the much older DVD version. I watched that DVD completely to accurately compare and contrast it with the newer Blu Ray. I was eager to hear the older DVD for reasons made clear below. Of all things, the audio transfer in the older DVD is atrocious. I note this Blu version comes with a companion DVD as well. I did not watch that DVD. There may be distinctions between the two DVDs given their difference in year of production. I will eventually watch at least a portion of the companion DVD and edit this review if such is merited.IMAGING: THE BLU IS SO MUCH BETTER!The DVD imaging is significantly inferior when compared to the Blu version.. DVD imaging, eg, with darkened night scenes, stock film, and what is seemingly varying camera/film crews yield poor to often distracting video imaging. Images often evidence excessive film grain.The Oppo and 2013 Blu Ray, however, can only do so much with the film as produced.. The 1979 film, on Blu Ray, shows its age. Someday, hopefully, a fully restored video version will be offered (as was done with Zulu, discussed below)., Frame by frame restoration will pay off handsomely. But I emphasize this Blu Ray still yields a rich, usually very clean, gorgeous image and is a huge improvement over the older DVD version. Some grain is present, but largely the image is very pleasing. For those who possess and enjoy the older DVD, I urge you to upgrade and purchase the Blu version. This notwithstanding my audio criticisms set forth below.FILM RESORATION AND ASPECT RATIOSome other details deserves a note. According to Severin, the film is restored;. here that means, as much as I can tell, only a return to the the film's original 2.35 /1 aspect ratio. All to the very good. However, as set forth below, this film is not fully restored overall. Not the film's imaging , not the film's audio which remains far less that what is needed.In sum: The 2013 Severin Blu Ray is huge improvement in video imaging over the older DVD..AUDIO: THE SERIOUS PROBLEM CHILD OF THIS MOVIEIf you read the older DVD version audio reviews, you will often read severe criticisms of the film's muffled, unintelligible dialogue. Most critics report that the sound is simply awful even when great audio equipment and volume controls are used. I could not agree more. With my equipment listed above I was unable to enjoy the DVD movie as dialogue was frequently beyond comprehension. I even used my headphones, but to no avail. Curiously, the limited music score and background sounds of the Zulu are fine in the DVD. But in the end, the poor audio on the older DVD version simply ruins most people's ability to enjoy the film. That version merits one star.There seems to be a similar criticism-but often not to the same degree-regarding the Audio quality of the newer Blu Ray. Some find the Blu Ray a waste of money due to continued audio issues. Here I somewhat disagree. Please remember I am using very good equipment and, as it turns out,, that makes all the difference in the world as to sound.Although poor sound engineering/transfer continues to evident in the Blu version, it is nonetheless far better than the DVD. Peter O'Toole, eg,, can be heard fairly well. Not so in the older DVD. I believe the older DVD is Mono. The Blu offers Dolby Digital 2.0. And although on occasion the Severin dialogue isn't as clear as desired, it is usually clear enough to be heard and understood. Accordingly, the Blu's audio now permits a relatively pleasurable experience. Just not the best. Again, a restored re-engineered version of the audio is more than warranted. If it ever occurs, I will be first in line to buy it.AN IMPORTANT TEST:I followed up for this review by playing the same Blu thru a lesser system (found in my bedroom). That consists of an older Panasonic Blu player connected to an older Samsung LCD television, using its internal speakers. There the Blu's audio was markedly inferior to that discussed in this critique using better equipment.. Very frustrating. The Video, however, was the same: very good to excellent.Conclusion: Used with good external speakers this Blu version of Zulu Dawn is worth its price. It provides a very good to great experience. On an older TV and without use of good external speakers via reliable sound processing as that provided in decent receivers,this 2013 Blu's audio will still prove quite disappointing. I am convinced the conflicting blu ray audio evaluations reflect the choice of speakers used when playing this recent Blu version. TV speakers will not do in most cases. An average receiver and use of external mid-range speakers is all this Blu requires.THE FILM:The film itself is based on a true, tragic story. It was shot at or nearby the actual locations of the 1879 conflict. It is an exciting film to those who enjoy (as I) history of such military and political clashes. It is a well-done prequel, in the sense of actual time line, to the succeeding events captured in Michael Caine's Zulu. Caine's Zulu is now available in Blu Ray without any Audio/Video distractions. It is a far superior video imaging/audio Blu transfer. Many also rate the Caine Zulu as far superior in story line and acting. I agree. But unlike some, I believe this film stands on its own.The two movies actually work very well together. (Think of the pair simply as Part 1/Part 2) . Zulu Dawn (watched first) enhances the overall experience of the Zulu (Caine) film by setting in context the circumstances that brought about the Brit-Zulu conflict in 1879, leading up to where Caine's Zulu story essentially begins ( Rorkes Drift). Indeed, the last words in Zulu Dawn are that a reddened sky is hovering over Rorkes Drift .The sheer number of cast in both Zulu movies is itself stunning. No CGI! The film's location/ settings, are in Africa in both movies and visuals are simply beautiful. So too the varying British uniforms. Skin color and tones are finely captured. I discuss Caine's Zulu because there is much inevitable discussion and comparison here on Amazon between the 2 movies when reviewing Zulu Dawn. I do wish to note that the Caine Zulu has wonderful extras, alone a reason to buy the 50th Anniversary Blu Ray. Caine's Zulu music (wonderfully done by John Barry) was recorded in Africa during pre-shooting. Zulu music and rhythms are the basis of a wonderful written musical score. Zuluindigenous musical influence on the Caine movie is not to be lost here. Zulu dancing etc is also wonderfully discussed. Caine's Zulu Blu Ray movie and its' extras merit 5 stars. But...., back to Zulu Dawn.Zulu Dawn Blu also has extras of substantial value. The movie Zulu Dawn was inspired by Ian Knight's book detailing the history of the 1879 Brit-Zulu war. The author- in a well filmed extra- returned to the film's locations and provided outstanding explanations that are so illuminating that, in my opinion, this particular "extra" should be watched preceding the watching of Zulu Dawn and, for that matter, Caine's Zulu. It fills in the blanks and truly makes the film far more interesting. It also assures viewers of the film's overall accuracy in where the battle occurred,what happened, and why.I rate the Severin Blu Ray version of Zulu Dawn 4 stars. Had the audio problems been completely resolved, I would have scored it 4 and 1/2 stars but not 5. As mentioned above, video could be improved. This rating assumes/requires use of good equipment. As qualified: Highly recommended. Enjoy!PS: I strongly urge you to look up "Zulu Dawn" on Wikipedia. Great review and offers a wonderful, detailed list of actor/character descriptions; quite helpful to understanding the film!

Like many other fans of both ZULU and ZULU DAWN, we've had to suffer with cheap, abysmal VHS and DVD transfers of these exciting films. "Zulu" was fortunate enough to undergo a complete restoration before it debuted on blu-ray  Zulu [Blu-ray ] or  Zulu (Blu-Ray)- Remastered (Amazon Exclusive) . Frankly, I had given-up hope on ever seeing "Zulu Dawn" transferred to blu-ray. Amazingly, it here and although it's still the poorer step-child to the magnficently restored "Zulu", this prequel is still very good, and well-worth acquiring.I'm not a geek, but I though other viewers might appreciate to read what the experts on blu-ray releases have to say about this particular title. Now, perhaps, my other wish that someday "Khartoum" and "55 Days at Peking" might make their blu-ray debut before my eyes are too weak to appreciate the gift!"Zulu Dawn is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 (this may mean that Severin has finally forsaken the older MPEG-2 codec for its Blu-ray releases). Severin is touting this as having been restored, and it must be admitted that the elements are in remarkably good condition overall, with one notable exception. Several times throughout the film there are what appear to be a missing frame, leading to just very slight jumps in the fluidity of the motion. It's really noticeable in the clips in the main The History of the Zulu Wars featurette included as a supplement, and at times almost looks like what you see when a PAL source has been converted to NTSC. That anomaly aside, this is really a rather nice looking high definition presentation. My hunch is there has been some noise reduction applied to this release, but there is definitely fine grain (as in fine grain) noticeable when the film is in motion, especially in the many outdoor scenes where it's quite visible in the skies. Colors are nicely robust (if the reds are just slightly on the orange side, as the screenshots accompanying this review show) and fine detail pops quite well in close-ups.Severin Films is still getting its feet wet in the Blu-ray market and it's a good sign that this release has a lossless audio option. Both a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix as well as a Dolby Digital 2.0 (mono) mix are included on this Blu-ray. The lossless track sounds very good indeed, with dialogue clean (if sometimes a bit hard to decipher due to the accents) and Elmer Bernstein's exciting score well rendered. Anyone who is a fan of Bernstein's amazing work in Hawaii knows how well the composer utilizes ethnic instruments (especially percussion) and voices, and he does much the same thing in this film. While this track is obviously narrow, it has some requisite dynamic range, especially in several key action sequences.* The History of the Zulu Wars (1080p; 25:34) is a really interesting documentary featuring Ian Knight, author of Zulu Rising - The Epic Story of Isanlwana and Rorke's Drift, who provides a wealth of background information and context that really helps the viewer to better appreciate some of the finer details of the film.* Recreating the War (480i; 20:19) looks back on the historical accuracy of the film, and includes interviews with Midge Carter (a male), who was the historical advisor.* A Visit to the Battlefield (480i; 16:47) features Ian Knight again, taking us on a little guided tour of the actual historical locations.* Theatrical Trailer (480i; 3:00)* Outtakes (480i; 12:14). These are in pretty poor shape, image wise, but they're fascinating to watch as they show director Douglas Hickox in action. "

Generally considered to be inferior to the movie Zulu, this movie is an underrated epic. i found it very entertaining even with a few inaccuracies such as the British Amy depicted crossing the Buffalo river going the wrong direction A thing which I did not notice but read about later. I doubt that many others noticed it either. The two most glaring errors which I noticed while watching was the cavalry regiment which was not even in Africa until after Islandhlawana and heavy ammunition crates which floated and bobbed about like beach balls when they were dropped by porters during the river crossing. Neither would make much difference to viewers just looking for entertainment.The movie is very sympathetic to the Zulus who are accurately shown as the aggrieved party in this war. Local British officials in Natal deliberately conspired to start the war against orders from the government in London. The Zulu king, Cetshwayo, was given an insulting ultimatum with which he was obviously not going to comply. One of the best lines in the movie is spoken by King Cetshwayo about the ultimatum, "Do I go to the country of the white man and tell him to change his laws and customs?"Despite the movie's obvious sympathetic treatment of the Zulu, I have read reviews which call the movie racist. One of those I can call only a strange rant which, among other things, claims that scenes of Zulu warriors stabbing British soldiers, "in the back as the only way to get to them," is racist.I downloaded this movie free via Amazon Prime.

1979's Zulu Dawn depicts the battle of Islandlwana, a major defeat of a modern British army by Zulus under King Cetshwayo whose troops were armed with shields and spears. The late 1960's and 1970's was the absolute worst time for historical film-making exemplified by the likes of, Anzio [1968], The Charge of the Light Brigade [1969], Little Big Man [1970], The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean [1972], Buffalo Bill and the Indians [1976] and A Bridge Too Far [1977]. Revisionist history and a cynical eye was 'in' so you'll get a character like a newspaper man - in this case, Ronald Lacey - sneering at the idea of Empire and taking the side of the enemy. Believe it or not, the Empire was quite a popular thing. A liberal of the 1970's BBC plonked straight into a film depicting the 1870's. It's difficult to be revisionist about Islandlwana because it was an unmitigated disaster unless you're saying that the British lured the Zulu's into sacrificing all their best men. That clever Lord Chelmsford. There is some more recent history depicted here i.e. the Zulus deliberately luring away Chelmsford's main force in order to attack the weakened camp. Whether you believe that or not is up to you.We'd better start with what's good - the intrigues of Bartle Frere [John Mills], the somewhat chaotic invasion of Zululand, the great folds of earth in front of them, the grassland and the dongas - dry gullies - typical of Zululand, the supply wagons drawn by teams of oxen, the brooding and foreboding majesty of Islandlwana mountain, the skirmishes with Zulu scouts, the British idea of sport or adventure, the discovery of the main Zulu impi and its instant attack, the speed of the Zulu warriors, the overrunning of the rocket battery, the guns turning over, the odd gun in the hands of the Zulus, Durnford's [Burt Lancaster] stand on the river bank, Pulleine [Denholm Elliot] moving the guns to support Durnford, the quartermasters only giving ammunition to their own men, the collapse of the firing line, Melville and Coghill's attempted rescue of the colours and the Zulus carting off the captured guns to Ulundi [during the final credits]. Props too, that the film portrays the settler irregulars, the native irregulars and the native foot-soldiers with their traditional weapons and a red band around their heads.Now what's bad. The aged, Burt Lancaster. He is really terrible with his corny Oirish brogue and any one of the supporting actors - Davenport, Pickup, Jayston - would have done a better job. Durnford would've had a cut glass English accent, not sound like he was from a Dublin council estate. The rest of the cast are fine, even O'Toole. The direction by Douglas Hickox is workmanlike. The film has such a great British cast and yet, most are only in it for a few minutes and Davenport is utterly wasted in this.Next, the inaccuracies: Durnford's men held the Zulus for a while in the river bed but in the film they evacuate it virtually straight away, the firing line would've been even further out and apart than depicted in the film and each company would've stretched out over several hundred yards and they would've been in whatever position they were comfortable in e.g. standing, kneeling or lying down. They were not in a front rank, rear rank formation. If you're being really picky, the cannons are wrong and the rifles are more like carbines but you'd have to be a military historian to notice. One of the two battalions [1/24] had been fighting the Xhosa for a few years and their uniforms would have been faded and constantly repaired not look like they'd come straight off a sewing machine. Veterans also dyed their helmets with tea because bright white helmets made tempting targets for the few Zulu sharpshooters. Lastly, the idea of a 'final sol ution' for the Zulus as spouted by Mills as Bartle Frere is crass in the extreme. There was never any intention of gen ociding the Zulu. The aim was the reduction of Zulu military power and the bringing of Zululand into a South African Confederation.Like all films purporting to be historical, Zulu Dawn has its exaggerations, conflations and inexactitudes [usually for dramatic purposes]. It's not as bad as Cromwell [1970] though and it does give you the gist of the battle, the logistics, the machinations, the arrogance, the over-confidence and the incompetence of what happened that day. It'll never be as good as Zulu [1964] and one feels that if Cy Endfield hadn't died a year or so earlier, he would've made a better job of it than Hickox. Nevertheless, it's a decent watch. Look out for Simon Ward's horse doing a poo. I'd have done one if I'd seen that many Zulus armed to the teeth.The Arrow Academy DVD is in widescreen, not the 4:3 stated on the back of the box. The sound is quite low. Trailer. No English subtitles.

I feel I must redress a few negative reviews that I've seen regarding this movie.I received this two days ago. I've seen it a number of times before on TV and DVD but never in this quality.Firstly, the picture size is full cinematic mode, in the 'letterbox' format with significant black areas above and below the intended image on a widescreen TV. Any modern tele could reduce or remove the black areas but who would want to do that?The image quality is about as good as is it can possibly be for HDTV, especially when one considers that it's an 'oldish' film. It looks pristine to me.The soundtrack is good, clean and clear. I don't have a fancy (probably considered 'old hat' these days) 5.1 surround sound or better, just a nice tele with its native speakers.Just for Info, according to the DVD cover:-This is from "Arrow Films" 2009.The aspect ratio is described as 4:3. IT IS NOT on my copy. As already described by me it is full cinematic.I expected to be disappointed by this purchase but wanted it on DVD so bought anyway due to the price. I am surprisingly satisfied that it's so good. Will be watching it in irresistible tandem with its pre-sequel (??) "Zulu".If you buy this, I hope it's of the same quality as mine.Happy viewing all.

Having read several accounts of the battle at Isandlwana and the subsequent defence of Rorkes Drift . The Zulu Dawn does cover the general politics , attitudes and main characters . It also attempts to show the scale of the Zulu army and the tactics of the British. Apart from some non fiction story lines added , the film is a good reflection of the events and the main players . It is a good film to watch and does give the scale of the disaster of the British contingent .

I refer to the MOSAIC edition:- It is advertised as being Widescreen, both in the Amazon listings and in the leaflet supplied with the DVD...it is NOT. There is a widescreen image during the credit sequence but then the picture jumps to full-screen.- The image is grainy to a fault, especially in the night-time scenes, something I have not seen since the early days of DVD!To be honest, both faults are completely unacceptable in these days of restoration - and even unrestored DVDs get a decent picture!To be fair, the seller accepted my complaint without question and I am in the process of returning the item.Thanks to the information provided by another reviewer, I have ordered the ARROW version -reasonably priced, straight from Arrowfilms.co.uk - which I understand is both widescreen and a very fine picture...let's hope so!

Bought used, arrived on time and in the condition advertised.My teen kids have taken a liking to the old Hollywood 'epics' ever since I told them the numbers of human actors/extras that were used in the big scenes - it came as a surprise to them it wasn't CGI - so they watch the large scenes in awe.Not as good as Zulu, but well worth watching alongside Zulu, Zulu Dawn is a classic epic movie. I'm not overly bothered about buying DVD rather than the higher resolution Bluray due to the age of the movie .... we have more DVD players than Bluray payers and the lower DVD cost, plus all the extras (no pun intended) that the special edition DVDs have, often make the DVDs a better choice for us.