Something for the weekend. The main theme from Zulu (1964) by composer John Barry.
Bonus:
Bonus Bonus:
Zulu!
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
One of my favorite movies. I have two British style pith helmets because of it. It also inspired many hours of miniature battles which we called Orcs Drift.
My brother and I first watched it on television with my Dad around 1967. After we thought the fighting was over my brother and I went to bed. When the Zulus reappeared towards the end our father roused us to watch. Probably the best war movie I have ever seen. Michael Caine was a combat veteran of Korea, which made him a confirmed anti-Communist, and his experience of real war I think gives depth to his performance.
Alas, Michael Caine’s views did not age well. If you hang around the movie business too long, you are likely to absorb the demonic world view eventually.
His hatred of Communism remains:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/24/observer-profile-michael-caine
I’m less than impressed with his anti-communism. He opposes it because it interferes with personal freedom. But when asked what it is that people should be free to do, his answer amounts to “They should be free to kill their babies if they find them inconvenient.” He was always extremely proud of his role in the demonic Cider House film.
I didn’t mention abortion, I mentioned Communism. Comments about his other views have nothing to do with Zulu the film. My mentioning Korea was to note that I thought it gave a verisimilitude to his performance.
As matters turned out, South Africa would have been better off with a post apartheid government headed by the Zulu than the inept mess they have now. Although opponents at the time, they were well respected by the British and Afrikaans communities
There were 34 performers in The Cider House Rules with screen credits. I recognize five names. One is the author / screenwriter (John Irving) who was for some reason cast for a bit part, one is an actress (then age 24) whose name I wouldn’t have recognized in 1999, and a third is an actor I’d have recognized only because his brother was once so obtrusive. A fourth is an actress whose name I recognize, but I had to check IMDB to make sure I’d seen anything she’d been in (I had, > 40 years ago); she’s notable for having had a patronage job in the Clinton Administration (of which she made a mess). I’m wondering how many name people recoiled from a precis of the script and declined to audition.
“I just got back from Africa you know. I was playing cards with the natives.”
“Oh, Zulus?”
“No, I usaually won.”
Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz
The YouTube channel History Buffs has a video about this movie:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VygWpmwBO8M