Movie |
Surrounded | Fight
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Budget 11,750,000 USD
Sir William Stanley Baker, who co-produced and played Lieutenant John Chard in Zulu (1964), had always wanted to make a movie about the Battle of Isandhlwana. Unfortunately, he died two years before this movie was made. He had intended to play Colonel Durnford (Burt Lancaster).
Burt Lancaster reputedly was "tone deaf" when it came to accents, but here he affects an Irish burr. Lancaster also was challenged by having to learn how to do things like riding a horse with only one arm.
The lack of ammunition due to boxes being "screwed down" was given as the main reason for the British defeat. This has been disproven by historical records and archaeological evidence. The ammo boxes were screwed down, but they were designed to be opened in a hurry by knocking off the center section of the lid. This is clearly demonstrated in a scene near the end of the battle where a rifle butt is used to knock out the panel. The real main reason for the loss of the camp was that the firing lines were too far out and spread, reducing the effectiveness of the British volley fire. Also, the Martini Henry rifles started to jam and misfire after prolonged firing, allowing the Zulus, who had suffered terrible losses, to close with the firing lines, and overwhelm them in mass charges.
The "final solution" line was deliberately intended as a reference to the Holocaust.
The real-life Lord Chelmsford was able to save his job by fudging a lot of facts, including inflating the size of the Zulu army from 20,000 to 60,000 and scapegoating Colonel Dunsford. Because of the less significant British victory at Rorke's Drift the same day, Chelmsford later received a promotion due to the influence of his chief supporter, Queen Victoria.
"General Lord Chelmsford: After lunch, Brown, I want you to return to Isandhlwana and instruct Col. Pulleine to join us here immediately. Col. Hamilton-Brown: If you'll excuse me, My Lord. General Lord Chelmsford: No appetite, Colonel? Col. Hamilton-Brown: My men haven't eaten since yesterday and there won't be any supplies until I get them back to Isandhlwana. General Lord Chelmsford: Then they can start off now and you can join them when you've eaten. Col. Hamilton-Brown: Kind of you, My Lord, but I don't think it would be proper for me to sit at your table, they with their bellies stuck to their backbones. [Exits] Lt. Harford: [rising to follow Hamilton-Brown] Excuse me, Sir. General Lord Chelmsford: [to Lt. Harford] Learn nothing from that Irishman, Harford, except how not to behave."
"Zulu messenger: I bring greetings from your friends the British and from the great Lord Chelmsford. Ceteseyo: And what do your masters say? Zulu messenger: They are angry and send these demands. They say that you rule in old ways that are wrong; that you kill your people without trial. The Great White Queen herself cannot kill her lowliest subject, though she rules forty lands, each greater than all of Zululand."
