22nd January 1879. A tragic reference to Isandhlwana. The Zulu War was in progress and on this infamous day the British Army suffered a humiliating defeat when, out of a total garrison of 1762 men, all died in battle against the Zulus apart from fifty-five Europeans and three hundred and fifty African Auxiliaries.
Elated by the victory a force of about four thousand Zulus carried on down the track to take the mission station at Rorke's Drift. A small force of soldiers was at their mercy and fought so bravely for fifteen hours, non-stop, that the Zulus withdrew.
An epic film was made starring Stanley Baker and Michael Caine called "Zulu" which dealt with the aftermath of Isandhlwana and the gave a graphic account of the Defence of Rorke's Drift. Through seeing the film, I developed an interest in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and I have studied literature and lectures on the subject and found the whole episode interesting ... but futile.
I would like to hear from other people about a favourite film that has influenced their life in some way. I look forward to reading some good comments.
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2 comments:
For me it was not so much a film that has influenced my life but a TV series. I'm referring to "I, Claudius", the BBC adaptation of Robert Graves' historical novels "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God".
It tells the story of the beginnings of Rome as an empire starting with the first true Emperor Augustus. The story ends with the death of the unwilling Emperor Claudius, a highly educated and intelligent man who, because he stammered and limped, was considered an idiot by his family and not worth the trouble of doing away with in the political intrigues the wracked that period of history.
The TV series was a marvellous adaptation featuring big name actors such as Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed and John Hurt. It really fired my enthusiasm for all things classical and, as a result, I now have a degree in Classics and Ancient History. The history of the early Roman Empire remains my favourite period in time.
Thank you Ian, that's just the sort of thing I was hoping to find. I suspected that our lives can be spurred on towards an unsuspected target, influenced by literature or graphic imagery. In my own case I am a member of the Anglo-Zulu War Research Group and spend quite a bit of time in the RE Museum in Gillingham looking through letters and accounts of the time.
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