7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
Based on the 1879 massacre in Africa, British soldiers stand fast against the Zulu's at Rorke's Drift.
Starring: Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins (I), Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth (I), Michael CaineWar | 100% |
History | 85% |
Drama | 66% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (448 kbps)
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A timeless classic that has inspired hordes of dedicated fans Cy Endfield’s “Zulu” (1964) arrives
on Blu-ray via Paramount Pictures, UK. Boasting a transfer that is as impressive as anything that I
have seen being offered on the format this certainly is a release I will be coming back to for years to
come. Fans of classic cinema should be particularly happy to see the direction Blu-ray has
taken.
Based on a true story (the film is based on an article by John Prebble) Zulu chronicles the
deadly clash between 140 British soldiers and more than 4000 Zulu warriors at the desolated
Rourke’s Drift in South Africa that took place in 1879. In the middle of the story are Lt. John Chard
(Stanley Baker), Lt. Gonville Bromhead (Michael Cane), Rev. Otto Witt (Jack Hawkins), Margareta
Witt (Ulla Jacobsson), Sgt. Frank Bourne (Nigel Green), and more than a dozen other characters
who are faced with possible extermination.
Massacred
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p
transfer Zulu arrives on Blu-ray via Paramount Pictures-UK. Well, this print will spur a
number of passionate discussions and I predict that there will be some, ironically, paramount
exaggerations. Here's why:
First, the transfer Paramount have delivered is stunningly clean and free of blemishes, specks,
marks, or debris. I am certainly stunned to see such an incredibly fresh presentation for a film
that has received a fair share of questionable SDVD treatments. Second, I see very little grain
here. There is some but arguably not as much as I expected to see. Contrast is certainly at a very
high level and even during the night scenes there is a great deal of clarity which is flat-out
stunning. Third, the color-scheme is absolutely breathtaking. I am unsure how a 44-year old film
could reveal such lush colors but take a look at the screen caps and let me know if you think that
I might be exaggerating. So, the big question is why would Zulu create a lot of
controversy? Because there will be plenty of claims suggesting serious DNR alterations. I
personally see a good amount of detail. In fact, this release is an enormous improvement over the
SDVD release and in motion the Blu-ray transfer looks incredible to me. (Note: Please
note that this is a region-free release which you will be able to play in your PS3 or SA regardless
of your geographical location).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray release: an English Stereo mix with optional English and English SDH subtitles. Here the Blu-ray disc also offers a serious improvement over the SDVD release. The audio is crisp and crystal clear and the dialog in particular very easy to follow. Furthermore, the SDVD offered a somewhat hollow sound (Dolby Digital Mono) which while passable certainly comes short of matching the quality of this Blu-ray disc. In fact, I would argue that this is a totally different audio mix sourced from a different master (in the United States Zulu was released by MGM). A good example of the more potent sound the Paramount release offers is the extended dancing scene from the opening twenty or so minutes right before the announcement for the massacre arrives. The sound coming off of my speakers is fuller and with plenty of oomph I never heard on the SDVD. The actual dialog on the other hand is crystal clear and extremely easy to follow. I personally did not detect any issues to report here. Finally, the optional English subtitles appear in the film frame, they are not split.
In addition to the original theatrical trailer this Blu-ray disc also offers a very large featurette which has been broken into smaller bits: "The Music of Zulu", "Zulu: Remembering an Epic", "The Making of Zulu: Role of Honor", "The Making of Zulu:…Snappeth the Spear in Sunder". The entire featurette is incredibly informative. From John Barry's comments on the energy and classic spirit of the soundtrack, to the numerous comments addressing the filming style of Cy Endfield produced by the cast and crew to the excellent analysis by film historian Sheldon Hall there really is plenty of information here that should quench your thirst for anything Zulu. I highly recommend that you take the necessary time and watch all of the four segments mentioned above. Finally, the Blu-ray disc also offers a full-blown commentary with Zulu's second unit director Robert Porter and film historian Sheldon Hall. I went through the entire commentary, which is the reason why I could not publish this review immediately after the disc arrived, and indeed this commentary alone is enough of a reason for me to highly recommend this disc. Sheldon Hall provides an excellent deconstruction of the entire film supplanted by plenty of curious details about the history of the film, production, etc. Once again, I strongly recommend that you listen to it as this isn't a standard filler of a commentary as the ones many releases appear to be plagues with, this is indeed an informative analysis with plenty to offer. (Note: You will be able to play all of the extras on your Region-A PS3 or SA without a problem).
A legendary film with a true epic feel Cy Endfield's Zulu arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures-UK. The transfer is certainly very impressive but will probably prove to be too controversial as I predict that there will be a number of critics on a mission to belittle it. I don't and I would not share such dismissive attitude. In the United States Zulu is yet to be released or announced as upcoming. Given the lack of region-coding this is indeed a disc that I must Highly Recommend.
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