Zulu Dawn

Zulu Dawn is a historical war film set in 1879, when the British Empire moves to assert control over Zululand and its king, Cetshwayo. Confident in their military superiority, British forces under Lord Chelmsford advance into Zulu territory. The Zulu king regards the British as allies, so the invasion comes as a shock, and when the two sides meet the poorly led British column is overwhelmed.

Douglas Hickox directed the film, his third feature after Sitting Target in 1972 and Brannigan in 1975. Cy Endfield and Anthony Story wrote the screenplay, and Nate Kohn produced. Burt Lancaster plays Colonel Anthony Durnford, Peter O'Toole plays Lord Chelmsford, and John Mills appears as Sir Henry Bartle Frere, with Denholm Elliott, Simon Ward and Nigel Davenport among the credited cast of 45. The film was a multinational production involving companies in the United States, the Netherlands, South Africa and the Netherlands Antilles.

Released in May 1979, the film runs 117 minutes and blends adventure, drama, history and war. Made for a budget of 12 million dollars, it returned about 2 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.7 from roughly 8,300 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.1 from around 120 votes; a smaller set of critics' reviews averages 6 out of 10.