Shaka Zulu

Never leave an enemy behind or it will rise again to fly at your throat

I’ve first seen this series when it first came out on TV and it had me at awe and having watched the whole series through again I realized that this is still a great story, very well told and well acted. Filmed entirely on location in South Africa, Shaka Zulu offers an often-compelling look at a tumultuous period in African history, centering around the character of Shaka himself, who emerges as a complex figure teetering on the balance between leader and tyrant. What I like most about Shaka Zulu is that it never bows to stereotype and never simplifies the story down to "good guys versus bad guys. The British government is clearly in favor of colonizing Africa through fair means or foul some of the British feel that this is wrong, though they are outvoted by those who feel that British self-interest (and power) takes precedence over the less powerful native nations of Africa. But it's also abundantly clear that Shaka is far from a heroic leader of his people against European colonialism. His rise to power is shown to be a bloody, brutal story of merciless warfare and the quenching of his own personal thirst for revenge and in the end, we can see that a "great leader" can destroy a nation as easily as he can create it. Who can forget Henry Cele? He does a very creditable job as in the title role, radiating the raw power of the war leader while also clearly portraying Shaka's keen and agile mind. The scenes in which Farewell and the others match wits with Shaka are some of the most entertaining, particularly when Dr. Fynn (Robert Powell) tries to direct Shaka toward the study of Christianity Shaka's reasoned (and alarming, for Dr. Fynn) application of the story of Christ to his own situation is priceless. Edward Fox does his best to portray Lt. Farewell as a fully-developed character, but in this case, the series can be faulted for not being detailed enough, despite the length of the production. The concluding episodes appear to build on aspects of Farewell's character that are insufficiently supported by what we've seen of him in the story. It's worth noting that the listing of Christopher Lee as a co-star is hyperbole: he does appear in the film, but only very briefly at the beginning. One thing that holds Shaka Zulu back from being a really outstanding epic story is the unevenness of the narrative while some of the episodes are well-paced and interesting all the way through, others have less to offer. There are good production values and great scenery and hundreds of "real" extras, a refreshing change from the vacuous CGI laden "epics" which flood the cinema. I think the fact this was a mini-series has led to this production being seriously undervalued. While it's far from perfect, it is certainly ambitious, and does capture the epic sweep of Shaka's life and times.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Henry Cele IS Shaka!

I watched this movie when it first aired here in '87, knowing little about Shaka. I was in the kitchen making tea when the opening credits began to roll & my sister, already in front of the tv, said, "Hurry! You want to see this!" She meant the opening where Shaka was practicing with his spear. I was already entranced by the music! I carried the cups of tea in, and before I got to the set, I heard it. That VOICE. It has mesmerized me for nearly 20 years. I LITERALLY shook so hard I dropped the tea cups & walked like a zombie into the room. Not only did I LEARN something AND find my all-time favorite song during this mini-series, I enjoyed watching the beautiful Henry Cele with his graceful movements, and listening to the most incredible speaking voice I've ever heard. Watch it to find out the Zulu history. Watch it to 'taste' South Africa. Watch it to fall deeply into a great story! Watch it to see a magnificently beautiful man make a historical figure come to life!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Chike Nwobu from New Jersey. Great Movie ¿ saw it first in Nigeria 1990. been captured by knowledge

Best movie EVER 'PERIOD'

I've been a fan ever since I was four years old, 19 years now. Even then it captured my attention. Shaka Zulu will always fill that 'I feel like watching a GREAT movie tonight craving!!!'

Awesome performance

This movie displayed the true history of Shaka Zulu.

the best movie ever

this is a movie i watch a piece of almost daily. it has been my fav. for years i have seen it probably 30 times. the storyand the way it is done is so awesome it cant be fit into a small review. all should see and get 2 know it.

One of the best films.

One of the best films I have ever watched. Once I started watching I could not stop until the end. the setting was just too good. We need more of this type of films.

An excellent movie for history buffs

Even though i haven't seen this film since the eighties i still remember it to be very good. I look forward to getting it on Dvd

Thought provoking series, and hard-hitting!!

I'm only going from memory when I saw it in the 80's, and I've been trying to get it here in England with no luck. This is as good as Roots, and I can't wait to get it on DVD.

Probably one of the best African conveyed stories

This film conveys the story of Shaka Zulu to a brilliant extent. I have the three part video i watched it at the start of the 90'S and then i watched it this year (2202) and the actual film is much better than films released these days. The best scene is when he is training with his newly modified sword. The sound track to it is also brilliant but i find getting hold of it very hard.

SUPERB

Probably the best mini series I have ever seen.Bought it on video in the 80s.Would love to get it on DVD but can only find it on region 1.

Hits Home & Hard hitting

Watched it in the 80's. Need to get it in England and vid or DVD. Excellent hard hitting film. Would love to get hold of it for Chrissy present for mum and dad, Dad promised to buy it for mum in 20 years. Times up.

the broken spear

the scene were he brakes the spear is the best. that one scene is whorth buing the disc.

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