The final offensive

Movie
German title	The final offensive
Original title	Zulu Dawn
Country of production	United Kingdom
original language	English , Zulu
Publishing year	1979
length	113 minutes
Age rating	FSK 16
Rod
Director	Douglas Hickox
script	Cyril Endfield , Anthony Story
production	Nate Kohn , James Faulkner
music	Elmer Bernstein
camera	Ousama Rawi
cut	Malcolm Cooke
occupation
Burt Lancaster : Colonel Durnford Peter O'Toole : Lord Chelmsford Simon Ward : Lieutenant William Vereker Denholm Elliott : Colonel Pulleine Bob Hoskins : Color-Sgt.-Major Williams Simon Sabela : King Cetshwayo James Faulkner : Lieutenant Melvill Peter Vaughan : QSM Bloomfield Christopher Cazenove : Lieutenant Coghill David Bradley : Pte. Williams Paul Copley : Cpl. Storey Donald Pickering : Major Russell Ian Yule : Cpl. Fields

The last offensive (original title Zulu Dawn ) is a war film from 1979 that depicts the prehistory of the Zulu War of 1879 between Great Britain and the Zulu Empire in colonial South Africa and the battle of Isandhlwana . The film can be seen as the unofficial prelude to the fifteen years previously released British war film Zulu , which depicts the battle for Rorke's Drift .

The last offensive was only moderately successful when it appeared in American cinemas and was only released directly on VHS in Germany in 1984 .

action

Without authorization from the government in London, the local commanders of the British colony of Natal in southern Africa are planning a war against the neighboring Zulu Empire. The British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Henry Bartle Frere , and the commander of the British troops, Lord Chelmsford , provoke the war they want by issuing an unacceptable ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo : the king should disarm all his warriors and dissolve his empire himself.

As expected, Cetshwayo rejects the ultimatum, giving the British rulers the opportunity to invade. A British expeditionary army, supported by the local colonial militia of the Natal Native Contingent , then invades Zululand and marches on the capital Ulundi , while the Zulu gather their troops and prepare for the decisive battle ahead.

Halfway there, after an arduous march and after the arrogant Lord Chelmsford has divided up his troops, a battle breaks out at the foot of Mount Isandhlwana: 1400 British soldiers face a fifteen-fold superiority of the Zulu. The battle is said to go down in history as the worst defeat of a colonial power against a native army.

Reviews

The lexicon of international films ruled that the production was "a handsome and exciting adventure film despite the stereotypical constellation of people". There is "harsh criticism of British colonial policy" and "the arrogance of a power-loving master people attacked".

Awards

Actor Denholm Elliott received the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor for his role in this and two other films .

Web links

• The last offensive in theInternet Movie Database(English)
• Zulu Dawn at Rotten Tomatoes (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The final offensive. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .