Reviews (193)

The Ultimate Struggle for Survival Under Siege
The story begins with the Zulu army fresh from their stunning massacre of 1300 British soldiers at Isandhlwana. This force of over 5000 seasoned warriors then turns their attention to a small outpost called Rorke's drift. Only one hundred men, many sick and some malingerers man this camp in the middle of South African wilderness. Two lieutenants, one, engineer, and one the son of an English aristocrat are in command. These young officers are not battle tested but must quickly prepare for the fight of their lives. Fortunately, they are supported by efforts of the quintessential sergeant major that hardly breaks a sweat as he fights the fierce adversaries while maintaining proper British manners and discipline. By the use of military tactics and shear resolve, the two officers galvanize their small force against nearly insurmountable odds. This film is full of breathtaking sequences, exciting heroics and slackers becoming heroes. A scene where the Zulus attack the hospital is particularly brimming with action. Zulu also has its fair share of honor and humanity. Stanley Baker and Michael Caine turn in fine performances as the commanders of Rorke's Drift. Cy Endfield directs one of the most exciting movies ever made about the tenacity of the British soldier.

Outstanding re-telling of the 1879 battle at Rorke's Drift
In January, 1879, a column of British soldiers comprised primarily of the 24th Regiment of Foot, South Wales Borderers, was wiped out at the base of the mountain, Isandhlwana, in Natal, South Africa. A large contingent of 4,000 Zulu warriors then moved on to the undermanned expedition base at Rorke's Drift. This movie tells the incredible true story of the subsequent battle, and of the victory of the 90 some British soldiers, many of them sick, who held their post in the face of overwhelming odds. See Donald Morris' definitive book, _The Washing of the Spears_, against which this film account compares most favorably.

This neglected classic was filmed at a time when it was still just possible to associate the word "glory" with military victory-- without a sneer. The makers of the film avoid preaching and just let the battle tell the tale of the men of both sides. The British soldiers are not the "good guys" nor are the Zulus "bad guys," and the lone derogatory comment about the fighting ability of the Zulus is instantly rebuffed by a tough Boer cavalryman who says, "And just who do you think is coming to wipe out your little garrison, the Grenadier Guards?" This is a soldier's story about a soldier's fight.

Did the Welsh really sing "Men of Harlach" as they manned their mealie-bag barricades?

Did the Zulus really render a warrior's salute as they broke off the action on the second day of the battle?

It doesn't matter. The film is accurate in the historical basics that really count.

Beautifully filmed on location, with an outstanding, stirring score by John Barry, this film features solid but appropriately understated performances by Stanley Baker, Michael Caine, and Jack Hawkins.

I hesitate to mention the hideous, politically correct pre-quel, _Zulu Dawn_ which was released almost 25 years after _Zulu_, but any viewer who has the unhappy experience of seeing _Zulu Dawn_ should not be put off from seeing _Zulu_, which shines in comparison.

Whether one is interested in military history or a "movie for men who like movies," _Zulu_ is a worthy addition to a film library. From first to last, it is a compelling, superior film.

So where's Zulu Dawn?
Trying to find this movie and it's only available in Region 2. What gives?

Is it coming to the US soon?

Basically an Anti-War Movie
Zulu is basically more of an antiwar movie than an action adventure flick. War is not glamorized in Zulu and it is shown in all its horrific repulsiveness. Nor for that matter are there any heroes in Zulu for nobody acts heroically. The officers and soldiers know that its likely that they will die defending their isolated frontier outpost against the Zulu hordes and they are bitterly resentful of that fact.

This makes Zulu an original and different movie. However, the quality of the acting is generally low, although Michael Caine delivers a splendid performance. The script, direction and special effects are also deficient. Zulu was made on a low budget and it shows.

Zulu is an example of how a great idea does not necessarlily result in a great movie.

Girls can love this movie too!
I have always enjoyed this movie since I was a little girl. At 27 I love it even more. The gentleman behavior of the English, the breathtaking battle sequences and the fantastic score are spectacular. I have my favorite characters that just send shivers up my back and tears to my eyes at times for their heroism. If you don't take my word for how great this movie is you can refer to Lord of the Rings Two Towers extras. Peter Jackson was inspired by a few of the scenes from Zulu for the beginning of the battle at Helm's Deep. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Enjoyable, but hardly historically correct
"Heroes of Telemark" is an enjoyable sixties Hollywood war movie. But view it for entertainment (and Kirk Douglas), not as a history lesson. For that - and indeed for a filmatically better movie! - try instead "La bataille de l'eau lourde" (Jean Dreville / Titus Vibe-Müller, 1947). It's more accurate, more dramatic, has better photography - and even have some of the original saboteurs playing themselves.

Spartacus takes on the Nazis in Norway
Based on a true story. Norwegian resistance fighters sabotage the Nazi German effort to produce heavy water for German atomic research during World War Two. Breathtaking snowy Norwegian locations serve as a beautiful backdrop for the plot. Kirk Douglas superbly plays the role of a Norwegian physics professor who, though originally content to wait out the war, is soon pulled heart and soul into the struggle. Though somewhat toned down from the book of the same name (The Germans were much nastier in the printed version), the spirit of the conflict is accurately portrayed without the superhuman fiction that is found in other war movies of the 1960's. As a bit of trivia, Kirk Douglas accepted a starring role in this movie as a favor to Director Anthony Mann. Anthony Mann was the original director for SPARTACUS before he was replaced by Stanley Kubrick.

Awsome
This is a really good movie. Kirk palys the role as a NOrwegian really well.

I liked it.

More or Less How it Happened.
The movie follows the account of when how and why the heavy water shipment was sunk into the fjord, at least for the most part. The reality was even more grim, since few were saved off the ferry sinking. But, for Hollywood, the story is pretty well told, and the scenery is great.

Heroes of Telemark
Although a certain amount of the movie is gratuitously taken up by Kirk Douglas' love life, the story is not only a true one but the filming was done at some of the exact same locations--to include the heavy water factory. Several books and articles have been written on the actual events which were the stuff of legend. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Not there yet....but miles away from everybody else
Smiles of a Summer Night it's not one of my Top 10 Bergmans,but it's a fine example of 50's European cinema.Bergman said : "a mixture of operetta and comedy".Pauline Keal said : "One of the few classics of carnal comedy." Woody Allen said :"Even Smiles of a Summer Night, which some consider his 'comic masterpiece', is a very charming film, it has a warmth to it.." Enough said.

Send In The Clowns
This was director Ingmar Bergman's break-through film, the winner of the 1956 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the first of his many internationally acclaimed films. The story is a time honored one, referrencing the same tradition of romantic complications found in Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Rostand's LA RONDE: every one is either in love with or married to the wrong person.

A famous actress with two very different lovers invites both, their wives, and the son of one lover to her mother's country estate in the hope of sorting out the romantic entanglements to her satisfaction--and the result is considerable charm and unexpectedly dry wit. All the performances are excellent, with Eva Dahlbeck's Desiree a standout, but the real star of this ensemble piece is the unexpectedly witty script. Never quite veering over into broad farce but never sinking into romantic sentimentality, it is a very precisely written tale, and both cast and director make the most of it.

In the face of Bergman's later work, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT may seem rather slight, and indeed both psychology and cinematography is considerably less complex than one expects. Even so, it is very much a Bergman film: the visual style is distinct, and the themes of appearances vs. reality, the inability to correctly interpret another's behavior, and the failure to understand one's self are very much in evidence--only here to comic effect. It is in every way a charming film that Bergman fans will enjoy.

Incidently, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT was successfully translated to the stage as the musical A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, the score of which includes the famous "Send In The Clowns." Fans of the original film will be interested to compare the two works.

A rating of 5 and then some.*******
This film is perfect -- comedy, drama, you name it. Performances are all tight and Bergman weaves a marvelous tale of how people make fools of themselves at almost all times. They deceive each other and themselves, only wasting large portions of their lives in the process. He is always teaching us a lesson, and I like that in a film. Comic moments abound, however, and the result is uplifting, honest and very real.

The film is touted as his only comedy, however, I would not categorize the film this way. There are deeply felt moments not to be ignored by the viewer. I have seen the film several times and I am very excited that it is now available on DVD. I recommend it highly and I hope that you enjoy it. It is a more than worthy film that satisfies on high ground. It is adult and insightful. Please, do not let this one pass you by if you are at all serious about filmmaking and Bergman's considerable contribution. Let's be grateful for his vast upus.

Intriguing Deceits in Terrific Bergman Comedy...
Ingmar Bergman directed a romantic comedy when he filmed Smiles of a Summer Night that is as playful as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream and is set in a small scale backdrop of Renoir's Rules of the Game (1939). Despite the similarities of other stories Bergman creates a unique comedy that is full of conspiring intrigue as it revolves around a small number of characters at the turn of the century in a small Swedish town.

Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Björnstrand), a successful middle-aged lawyer and former widower, has remarried with Anne (Ulla Jacobsson) who is at least twenty years younger than him. Fredrik's son, Henrik (Björn Bjelfvenstam), from his previous marriage, is of the same age as Anne and has recently arrived home from completing his theological examinations. Petra, the family maid, flirts with Henrik as he expresses his liking for the opposite sex. As a consequence, Henrik is struggling with an overwhelming inner guilt originating from his incapability to live by his lofty values stemming from his Christian faith. In addition, the prominent actress Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck), a previous lover to Fredrik, is performing at the town theater. Fredrik makes nightly visit to Desiree which puts him in harms way as Desiree's current lover, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle), a military officer known for his success in duels visits at the same time. However, this is just the beginning for all the predicaments that Fredrik is about to experience.

Smiles of a Summer Night is a well-written comedy with several subplots that drive the main theme, love, forward as it displays Bergman's wide range of story telling. Bergman displays a simple story which becomes complex as the characters are continually dishonest. It is the profound level of deceitfulness in the story that produces intrigue and brings about the comedy. As the final scene fades away in memory, the audience has gone through a first class cinematic experience that will lighten and enlighten those who participated.

Bergman Gives Us Lots To "Smile" About
The first time I saw "Smiles of a Summer Night" I thought is was an OK film, nothing more, nothing less. I was use to seeing the powerful, bleak, gritty dramas such as "Shame", "The Seventh Seal", "Wild Strawberries", and "A Passion of Anna". "Smiles" was entertaining, but not memorable. It just didn't have the lasting power those other films had.

I have now seen the film again. And while maybe it is true this movie does not have the lasting power Bergman's other films have, that does not mean you shouldn't see it.

"Smiles of a Summer Night" is actually pretty funny, and I don't just mean by Bergman's standards. It succeeds on its own as a comedy-of-manners.

The only other Bergman comedy I have seen is his vastly underrated "The Devil's Eye". Between the two I prefer "Eye", but "Smiles" still has its own charm.

Fredrik Egerman (Gunnar Bjornstrand) is married to Anne (Ulla Jacobson) and is having an affair with actress and former fling Desiree Armfeldt (Eva Dahlbeck). Too bad for Fredrik, Anne finds out. But Desiree is also seeing another man, Carl Magnus (Jarl Kulle) who is also married to one of Anne's friends, Charlotte (Margit Carlqvist), who also knows about he husband's "past time". Soon all of these people get together to spend a weekend in the country as Desiree throws a party in an attempt to win back Fredrik.

This all sounds very usually for Bergman, but, as I said he is able to pull it off.

Many may find the story-line resembles Woody Allen's "A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy", and that's because this is what that movie was based on. Though I prefer Bergman's film to Allen's. Did you ever think Ingmar Bergman would make a better comedy than Woody Allen? I know it sounds odd, but wait until you see this film.

Bottom-line: One of director Ingmar Bergman's funniest films. Surpringly filled with quirky moments and likeable performances from some Bergman regulars. "Smiles of a Summer Night" is worth watching. ... Read more