Shaka Zulu [VHS]

Shaka Zulu [VHS]
by William C. Faure

Shaka Zulu [VHS]

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Product details

Actor: Christopher Lee, Edward Fox, Fiona Fullerton, Robert Powell, Trevor Howard
Director: William C. Faure
Writer: Joshua Sinclair
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: Color, NTSC
Running Time: 300 minutes
Release Date: 1997-06-20
Audience Rating: Unrated
Publisher: Vidmark / Trimark
Studio: Vidmark / Trimark

VHS Movie Reviews of Shaka Zulu [VHS]

Movie Review: "Shaka Zulu" Is A Must-See
Summary: 5 Stars

Henry Cele plays the South African Zulu King, "Shaka Zulu." Shaka - meaning in Zulu, "the disease of the beetle," was rejected by his Father, Prince of a small Zulu village, and his Mother, Nandie, put through humiliating public displays of disdain by Shaka's Father. That rejection made Shaka into a young man who would be King with a hardened heart. Though he unified all Zulu people, he became a tyrannical leader who ruled with absolute power and authority. This is a true story of a Warrior King of South Africa who trusted very few people and felt that he could not love because of the pain his Father had inflicted upon his Mother, his Grandmother who died fleeing his Father's death sentence and himself. Shaka's curious nature about the Europeans is very interesting as he learns how to write and interpret the Europeans intentions after their arrival on the Cape of South Africa. This film is necessary viewing for anyone interested in Africa. Henry Cele's performance is beyond excellent. Cele was a star soccer player for South Africa in the 1970s.

Movie Review: Comments and then Reviews
Summary: 5 Stars

"I was not very impressed by the caption", "The most Savage Warrior of all times" even after watching the movie. I never saw savage, I saw a very clever revengeful boy, who grew with much hate for the ones who had done his family: Mother, Grandmother and sister as well as himself, Wrong. This warrior, who became a King, as told in the movie was destined to become a powerful King and rule over all Kraal's, which is the word the British chosen to be used for the Africans instead of empire's. So when one is not subjected to a way of another's way of living,then they choose to degraded another's way of life, with words. Powerful and savagery! I guess if I had to wonder in the wildernest for years I just might have a revenge problem as well.
I am still stuck on some of these chosen words by supposedly intelligent writers. Savage Warrior - would mean - untrained, uncivilized barbarian. Well people who can not think without killing would be barbarian's and people who defend would be called what??? Well there was not a trace of that with Chaka, he was thinking all the time for revenge of what had happened to his family and since His Grandmother had to die a harsh death, he figured the one's who sent them out to die should get the same justice. Justice!
Chaka was a true King and a powerful warrior first and foremost, and his reign of super intelligence, courage beyond words and the physical strength to achieve his goals. This King was not afraid of any man and with just a spear that he designed and shield that he designed, became a killing machine. He had his army stand before men with cannons and guns. WOW! amazing, and even more amazing they were undefeated. What military strategy. Now I am not quite sure if I remember why the British were afraid of him when he had nothing to do with them, oh! yes take over, fear. Yes, I remember now. Fear!
But I loved the mind of this King, he was not easily baited as planned by the British, nor easily defeated as planned. I am not a favorite of what wars do to humans, but if I had to march or fight behind a great king this would have been the one. Purpose! fight for a purpose. Not just for greed.
Review: This is a must see even now, Yes, it is an old version, but it is far better then the version I saw just recently, where Chaka was a captured slave. I better do some more reading, I don't remember that he was a captured slave. So I just might need to update my memory. Yet back to this film, I showed this to my children, many times, when they were young, it was a part of their history lesson. Try to never be manipulated..Try to be cleaver, like Fox. Henry Cele - (Shaka Zulu) was an outstanding actor, he was very powerful in his performance, as well as the young Shaka, I did not get his name not even on the credits here. I would have to look on the movie for his name. But this child did a superb job and the young man who portrayed Shaka as a teen, I did not see his name either, but he too, did a superb, job. I will have to look up their names, as for Dudu Mkhize who played his mother Nandi, and his Aunt; Mkabay, played by; Gugu Nxumalo. Now for the other names of the Zulu's and the other African Actors or people who portrayed these characters, names are not quite clear to me. Help! I was quite fond of the Dr. Henry Finn, played by Robert Powell, who seemed to narrate the movie as well as write the story, excellent job. This is a remarkable based true story. I give it a thumbs up. 5 star....

Movie Review: Absolutely bloodcurdling
Summary: 5 Stars

I think I saw this on TV. The fighting is so realistic as to be terrifying. Not for the weak of heart or stomach. But like vampire films, it does have its macabre appeal. The movie fails to create any sympathy for the Africans who were colonized and suppressed by Europeans.

Movie Review: Get the Complete Miniseries instead!
Summary: 3 Stars

Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed the entire miniseries on TV in the 1980s, I bought this set and expected it to be the same. I was very disappointed with the editing done to reduce the length from 8 hours down to 5 hours. The result is choppy, with dialogue frequently referring to scenes and sequences that were cut. In addition, there are editorial gaffes in some of the recaps of previous episodes where the cut scenes are recapped. These instances left me wondering what I had missed -- and then I realized that the scenes had been cut out. While this cut is still riveting, if you're willing to sit still for 5 hours of this version of Shaka Zulu, I'd recommend spending the additional 3 hours watching the complete version -- and at about the same price. It's well worth it!

Movie Review: An interesting take on an amazing person!
Summary: 4 Stars

The video is great; the one unfortunate aspect being that it is edited from the original TV series to a degree in which some of the characters do not fulfill their personalities and impact upon the life of Shaka. Aspects of Shaka's childhood have been left out that appeared in the TV series and which greatly help to clarify some of his later actions and personality traits. Yet another thing I found disappointing is that it is told from the point of a white man, a needless aspect.

In spite of this though it is a great story of a little known part of African history documenting the difficult childhood of Shaka, his rise to prominence and forging of the Zulu Empire from a kingdom of a few thousand to one of hundreds of thousands.
Some great characterizations, a particular favourite being Shaka's maiden aunt Mkabayi. If anyone is interested they may also want to purchase E.A. Ritter's book 'Shaka Zulu' which explores many of the myths surrounding Shaka. A great video though and well worth the money.

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Summary of Shaka Zulu [VHS]

South African director William C. Faure (who died in 1994) originally created Shaka Zulu as a 1983 miniseries broadcast in the U.K. Later released for theaters, this is the best-known biography of, and certainly one of the longest narratives about, the legendary Zulu warrior-king, Shaka. The story follows Shaka's life in detail from his illegitimate birth around 1787 to a commoner, Nandi, through his tormented childhood at the Zulu court. Virtually disowned by his father Senzangakhona, the scrawny and introverted Shaka grows into a tall, commanding presence played by Henry Cele (The Ghost and the Darkness and The Light in the Jungle). Cele's subtle but powerful performance is fundamental to the impact of this epic--which, though slow here and there, commands our attention and humanizes the legend of Shaka appealingly. After proving himself a worthy warrior and rising in the ranks of a necessarily more militant society, Shaka lends his influential support to King Dingiswayo who unifies the Zulu Nation under the domination of his Mthethwa tribe. At Dingiswayo's death, Shaka accedes to the Zulu throne from which he expands the Zulu empire through successive military successes over all of Natal (today, KwaZulu-Natal). Faure's story is distinct from other pre-apartheid accounts of Shaka's life in its positive retelling of the Zulu Nation's rise to dominance in western South Africa and in its admixture of military and personal history. In this account, Shaka is not merely the intangible father of a nation but a common man whose life both challenged and taught him to lead. --Erik Macki

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