The Ultimate Attack ( Zulu Dawn ) is a US – South African – Dutch war movie directed by Douglas Hickox in 1979 .
Synopsis
In 1879 , at Pietermaritzburg in Natal ( South Africa ), the British rulers considered the conquest of Zululand , which they thought could easily defeat militarily. But the British Armyis surprised by a powerful Zulu impi during the Battle of Isandhlwana .
Technical sheet
- Original title: Zulu Dawn
- Director: Douglas Hickox
- Co-production: David Tomblin and Peter McDonald
- Scenario: Cy Endfield and Anthony Storey , based on a story and screenplay by Cy Endfield
- Music: Elmer Bernstein
- Production year: 1979
- Restoration: 2004
- Production company: Samarkand
- Producer: Nate Kohn
- Distributor: Victory Films
- Photography: Ousama Rawl
- Camera operator: Ronnie Taylor
- Format: Panavision
- Film: colors
- Duration: 113 minutes
- Released United States : May 15, 1979
- Output France : July 9, 1980 (15 May 1979 at the Cannes Film Festival )
Distribution
- Burt Lancaster (VF: Claude Bertrand ) : Colonel Durnford
- Peter O’Toole (VF: Pierre Hatet ) : General Chelmsford
- Simon Ward (VF: Joel Martineau ) : Vereker
- Denholm Elliott (VF: Michel Gudin ) : Colonel Pulleine
- John Mills (VF: Philippe Dumat ) : The Governor of the Cape Colony , Sir Bartle Frere
- Nigel Davenport (VF: Edmond Bernard ) : Colonel Hamilton-Brown
- Michael Jayston (VF: Claude D’Yd ) : Colonel Crealock
- Peter Vaughan (VF: Jean Violette ) : Quartermaster Bloomfield
- James Faulkner (VF: Daniel Gall ) : Lieutenant Melvill
- Christopher Cazenove (VF: Lambert Wilson ) : Lieutenant Coghill
- Simon Sabela : Cetshwayo
- Dai Bradley : The Williams soldier
- Bob Hoskins (VF: Michel Barbey ) : Sergeant Williams
- Anna Calder-Marshall (VF: Martine Messager) : Fanny Colenso
- Freddie Jones (VF: Jean Berger ) : Bishop Colenso
- Nicholas Clay (VF: José Luccioni ) : Lieutenant Raw
- Ronald Lacey (VF: Philippe Mareuil ) : Journalist Norris Newman
- Phil Daniels : Boy Pullen
- Donald Pickering : Major Russell
- Paul Copley : Corporal Storey
- Ken Gampu : Mantshonga
- Ronald Pickup (VF: Jacques Bernard ) : Lieutenant Harford
- Don Leonard (FW: Henry Djanik ) : Fannin
- Claire Marshall (VF: Anne Kerylen ) : M me Witt
- Jan Bruyns (VF: Jacques Degor ) : The elderly Boer
French adaptation
Despite the seriousness with which the film was made (uniforms, sets, tactics of the time, etc.), there is a recurring translation problem in the French version : the British non-commissioned officer in charge of supply is systematically called Quartermaster , which corresponds in France to a rank of the crew of the Navy . The English rank of quartermaster general is rather that of quartermaster or steward .
Anecdote
The Battle of Rorke’s Drift , which took place just after the Battle of Isandhlwana , had already been the subject of a film in 1964 called Zulu . It was directed by Cy Endfield , co-writer of The Ultimate Attack .