- Joined
- Dec 6, 2010
- Messages
- 2,537
Gentlemen and Ladies of eGO;
I realized recently that I watch a lot of war/leadership movies and read a lot of war/leadership books. I surmised that I could share these with you and they might be of some value to some of you. I am not Siskel or Ebert (do you youngsters even know who they are?), so I am not going to be writing extensive reviews. These will be short descriptions and any opinions I might have on them. If there is enough interest, I will keep these up on a semi-regular basis.
Zulu
Zulu is a classic 1964 war film that, just like 12 O'clock High (the subject of my last spotlight, stands up well as both an entertaining movie, but also goes beyond that to offer leadership/military lessons.
Against impossible odds, a small band of British regulars attempt to defend their post, a mission used as a supply depot, from an attack of thousands of Zulu warriors. The movie is a based on the true story of the Battle of Rorke's Drift where 150 British held off an attack from 4000 Zulus in the late 19th century.
The commander of the post, Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine), is an aristocrat that attained his rank through family connections. Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) arrives at the location to build a bridge with his engineering corps and ends up taking command of the post.
As the movie leads up to the battle, the interaction between Bromhead and Chard is fantastic. I won't give away too much of the plot, but pay attention throughout the movie to Bromhead and how he changes by the end of the battle. Also pay attention to the Gunnery Sergeant and his behavior throughout the movie.
The battle scenes themselves are quite striking. While the production value is maybe not up to par with what we expect today (some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes shine through as faked), the overall emotion during these scenes is amazing. The battle, as expected, is long and drawn-out and the absolutely haunting chants of the thousands of Zulus as they prepare to attack will stick with you for a long time.
Overall, Zulu is a fantastic movie that any war buff, military, or someone in a leadership position should watch. I hope you enjoy it. PS. Make sure to get the 1964 one and watch that before watching the newer version.
I realized recently that I watch a lot of war/leadership movies and read a lot of war/leadership books. I surmised that I could share these with you and they might be of some value to some of you. I am not Siskel or Ebert (do you youngsters even know who they are?), so I am not going to be writing extensive reviews. These will be short descriptions and any opinions I might have on them. If there is enough interest, I will keep these up on a semi-regular basis.
Zulu
Zulu is a classic 1964 war film that, just like 12 O'clock High (the subject of my last spotlight, stands up well as both an entertaining movie, but also goes beyond that to offer leadership/military lessons.
Against impossible odds, a small band of British regulars attempt to defend their post, a mission used as a supply depot, from an attack of thousands of Zulu warriors. The movie is a based on the true story of the Battle of Rorke's Drift where 150 British held off an attack from 4000 Zulus in the late 19th century.
The commander of the post, Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine), is an aristocrat that attained his rank through family connections. Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) arrives at the location to build a bridge with his engineering corps and ends up taking command of the post.
As the movie leads up to the battle, the interaction between Bromhead and Chard is fantastic. I won't give away too much of the plot, but pay attention throughout the movie to Bromhead and how he changes by the end of the battle. Also pay attention to the Gunnery Sergeant and his behavior throughout the movie.
The battle scenes themselves are quite striking. While the production value is maybe not up to par with what we expect today (some of the hand-to-hand combat scenes shine through as faked), the overall emotion during these scenes is amazing. The battle, as expected, is long and drawn-out and the absolutely haunting chants of the thousands of Zulus as they prepare to attack will stick with you for a long time.
Overall, Zulu is a fantastic movie that any war buff, military, or someone in a leadership position should watch. I hope you enjoy it. PS. Make sure to get the 1964 one and watch that before watching the newer version.
