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DVD
A&E
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Alec Mills
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Actors: Edward Fox, Robert Powell, Trevor Howard, Fiona Fullerton, Christopher Lee
Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 11/05/2002 Run time: 500 minutes Rating: Nr
This sweeping miniseries from 1986 captures the rise and fall of an African emperor. Shaka Zulu begins following a British expedition sent to bargain with the fearsome Zulu army assembling on the outer edges of the British colonies in South Africa. Led by Lt. Francis Farewell (The Day of the Jackal, A Bridge Too Far), the expedition hopes to bamboozle a superstitious primitive, but their arrogance gets taken down a notch by a cunning and ruthless warlord who has unified vast territories through a combination of political charisma and military discipline. At this point, the focus shifts to how Shaka (the riveting Henry Cele), king of the Zulus, rose from a brutal childhood to royal grandeur--a semi-mythological tale filled with family strife, political intrigue, witchcraft, and bloody warfare. Powerful performances by Cele and Dudu Mikhize (as Shaka's iron-willed mother, Nandi) give this sprawling epic the drive and emotional scope of a Shakespearean drama. Shaka Zulu also draws sneaky parallels between the Zulu and British empires, often to sharp satirical effect. Full of richly conceived characters and compelling political maneuvering, this eight-hour series brings faraway history to living, breathing life. Also featuring Christopher Lee (whose always-steady career exploded at age 79 with juicy roles in The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones). --Bret Fetzer
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| Disappointed |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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I purchased this because I wanted a non-commercial viewing of the series. What I have is an over-edited copy of the TV show. A lot of the dialogue/action have been edited out! My question is why? If you're selling "complete" doesn't that mean all of the series?
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| Black history month |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This is great for black history month. it gives great detail on Shaka Zulu, and his reign. Very good movie, action, and overall just great.
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| Great Movie For Anyone Who Likes Shaka Zulu |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I saw this many years ago with my Dad and have not been able to find it since then. Finally found it. I loved it.
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| Not Complete - Missing Episodes!!! |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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Although this item is hyped as "the complete 10-part television epic," anyone with an IQ above 50 can see that it is anything but complete. First off, the set contains only FOUR cds, which is a huge clue that something is amiss. The first cd begins with an epilogue of sorts, detailing the threat of the Zulu Nation to the British interlopers in Africa, and ends right after the shipwreck of Freewell's crew and the taking of the translator crew member by the Zulus. However, cd #2 begins its narration talking about Nandi and baby Shaka's status as they relocate to another clan as if the viewers are already familiar with her and the issues surrounding her migration. And, even though cd #2 ends with Nandi and her two elementary-school-aged children being accepted into another clan, cd #3 opens with Freewell and his crew admidst the Zulus and a much, much older Shaka followed by the assassination attempt on Shaka's life. At this point in the series I became thoroughly disgusted. I had watched this series on A&E twice before and remember some of the crucial parts that were excised, namely Shaka's evolution as a warrior and leader, his influence upon the nature of warfare, as well as his subsequent rise to supremacy; in addition to the elevation of his mother, Nandi, and the initial meetings between Freewell and the other British interlopers...pardon me...crew members. None of these things were included in this collection, therefore for the makers of this series to proffer it to the public as the complete collection is disingenuous at best and thievery at its worst. I feel as if I have been DUPED!
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| great series |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I saw this on TV years ago and viewing it this time is a better experience than I had remembered. Great movie!
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