Film making

The 1964 film “Zulu” shows the story from the defence of Rorke’s Drift by the tiny garrison of British soldiers who had been attacked by at least four thousand Zulus. The soldiers kept the attackers at bay while the conflicts raged in to the night of 22/23 Jan 1879. By early morning, the Zulu warriors had called off the attack.

The movie stars Stanley Baker together with Michael Caine with Richard Burton narrating and was a follow up to “Zulu Dawn”. This film told the tale of the Battle of Isandlwana that took place previously that day. The opening scenes begin with the aftermath of Isandlwana while Richard Burton narrates the telegram by Lord Chelmsford updating the government of the disaster of Isandlwana. Zulus are shown accumulating weapons belonging to the lifeless British troops.

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 are also in the mission station and attempt to have the soldiers to run away in an effort to avoid a conflict. Witt swayed troopers of the NNC to abandon Rorke’s Drift. At this point, Chard orders Witt and his daughter to go out of the mission station in their buggy. At the same time, shielding lines of mealie bags and wagons are now being lined out to boost the lines of defence by joining the store room and the hospital. This is carried out under the watch of CSM Frank Bourne portrayed 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 morning, the Zulus started a war song ready for a final assault. The troops of the 24th reacted by singing “Men of Harlech”. The last assault see the Zulus charge into a hail of British rifle fire as 3 ranks of troops fire volley after volley down into the onrushing Zulu warriors. Due to such serious losses, the Zulus finally withdraw. The British begin to regroup and CSM Bourne takes a role call. The Zulus come back on the hillsides looking down on the mission station however as an alternative to attacking, they sing in salute of the “fellow warriors”.

The movie ends with Richard Burton narrating. He reads out the names of the eleven men who were awarded the Victoria Cross for the defence of Rorke’s Drift. The men who were awarded the V.C. 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 films based on a true experience, there are many different discrepancies. A few are for artistic licence although others will be oversights for various other reasons.

The film shows the 24th Regiment of Foot as a Welsh regiment. However, it was not named the South Wales Borderers until 1881, 2 years later than Rorke’s Drift. There was a significant number (close to 25%) of men from Wales in B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot but the the vast majority were 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 fired a substantial .45 round. It was quite capable of causing huge harm on the human body. In the film, the wounds on shot Zulus are tiny. In one scene in the infirmary, a Zulu warrior who was battling hand to hand with Private Hook was shot in the back and Hook was unscathed. At such close range, the round from the Martini-Henry would have easily gone through the Zulu and killed Hook too.

Nowadays, Rorke’s Drift is a tourism destination for visitors who would like to discover more about the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.

Michael Caine’s role in the film “Zulu” helped to launch his film career. He gave a superb role in the portrayal of the well known battle at Rorke’s Drift.