Shaka Zulu (1987)

Director:

William C. Faure

Writer:

Joshua Sinclair (writer)

Genre:

Action | Biography

Tagline:

The Most Savage Warrior of All Time!

Plot:

The true story of the life and rise to power of Shaka, the greatest Zulu leader in history. Starting from his birth...

Plot Keywords:

Zulu | South Africa | Africa

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Edward Fox	...	Lt. Francis Farewell
Robert Powell	...	Dr. Henry Fynn
Trevor Howard	...	Lord Charles Somerset
Fiona Fullerton	...	Elizabeth Farewell
Christopher Lee	...	Lord Bathurst
Henry Cele	...	Shaka
Dudu Mkhize	...	Nandi
Roy Dotrice	...	King George IV
Gordon Jackson	...	Prof. Bramston
Kenneth Griffith	...	Zacharias Abrahams
Conrad Magwaza	...	Senzagkona
Patrick Ndlovu	...	Mudli
Roland Mqwebu	...	Ngomane
Gugu Nxumalo	...	Mkabayi
Tu Nokwe	...	Pampata

Runtime:

USA:300 min

Country:

Australia | Italy | South Africa | West Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Harmony Gold

Trivia:

This has been the most repeatedly screened mini-series ever shown on syndicated television in the United States. By 1992 it had been seen by over 350 million viewers. The series dislodged John Marshall's "The Hunters" and the later The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) and its follow-ups as the prime shaper of American perceptions of "tribal" history in southern Africa. The series even achieved cult status.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)

A great . . . and awful man

The Story is told based in the writings of Edward Fox's character, an adventurer named Francis George Farewell. Therefore, the more savage side of his nature is undubitably exaggerated.

To the best of our knowledge the salient points are correct, even to Henry Cele sharing the same basic build as Shaka, both of them quite imposing. There is some European romanticism tossed in, but it should be must viewing for anyone who loves history. Pooh-poohed by some critics as preposterous (as was Ghost in the Darkness, also an essentially true story), it is no more amazing than Napoleon's rise from obscurity to absolute power. They parallel in so many ways, in fact, that Shaka is oft called the "Napoleon of Africa". Though many Zulus consider Napoleon the "Shaka of Europe"

The production was fraught with controversy (it was filmed in South Africa before sanctions were lifted) but tries to convey a complex and fascinating story set in a tribal Africa steeped in mysticism with ideas about life and death that were very different from Europe. It manages to convey those ideas, and Shaka's formidible intellect, quite well. On top of that, it has as its star the perfect actor for the part.

Highly recommended and worth the time it takes to view it.