Plot
In 1879, a communiqué from Lord Chelmsford to the Secretary of State for War in London, narrated by Richard Burton, details the crushing defeat of a British force at the hands of the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana. The next scene jumps to the aftermath of the battle showing the scattered bodies of dead British Soldiers amongst the burning tents and supply wagons whilst the victorious Zulus walk amongst them and gather their rifles. At a mass Zulu marriage ceremony witnessed by missionary Otto Witt (Jack Hawkins) and his daughter (Ulla Jacobsson), Zulu King Cetewayo (Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi) is also informed of the great victory earlier in the day.
A company of the British Army's 24th Regiment of Foot, a Welsh regiment, is using the missionary station of Rorke's Drift in Natal as a supply depot and hospital for their invasion force across the border in Zululand. Upon receiving news of Isandhlwana from the Natal Contingent Ardenoff and that an army of 4000 Zulu Warriors are advancing their way, Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) of the Royal Engineers assumes command of the small British detachment, being senior by virtue of his commission date to Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine), who, as an infantry officer, is rather put out to find himself subordinate to an engineer. Realising that they cannot outrun the Zulu army, especially with wounded soldiers, Chard decides to fortify the station and make a stand, using wagons, sacks of mealie, and crates of ship's biscuit. When Witt becomes drunk and starts demoralising the men with his dire predictions, causing the soldiers of the Natal Native Contingent to desert, Chard orders him to be locked in a supply room.
As the Zulu impis approach, a contingent of Boer horsemen arrives. They advise Chard that defending the station is hopeless before they flee, despite Chard's desperate pleas for them to stay. Finally the Zulu Army arrives across the Oscarberg and seconds later a Zulu infantry approaches to within 100 yards of the station and the warriors start rattling their spears against their shields and then charge. The British open fire and manage to kill at least 60 but Ardenoff informs them that the Zulus are counting the soldiers guns and testing their firepower. Then the soldiers escort Witt and his daughter to their carriage and try to get rid of them but Witt starts screaming the soldiers inevitable fate 'You're all going to die' once they finally leave the reality for the soldiers begins to sink in and its for the first time that they are starting to feel incredibly frightened of what awaits them. As this is happening the soldiers realise that there aren't enough men at the north wall of the station as they realise that they are going to be hit everywhere at once. As the soldiers take up their positions Zulu riflemen take their positions and open fire on the station from the neighbouring hillsides. Over the next few hours, wave after wave of Zulu attackers are repelled. The Zulus do succeed in setting fire to the hospital, leading to intense fighting between British patients and Zulu warriors as the former try to escape the flames. Malingering Private Henry Hook (James Booth) surprises everyone by taking charge in the successful breakout. Attacks continue into the night.
The next morning, the Zulus approach to within several hundred yards and begin singing a war chant; the British respond by singing "Men of Harlech". In the final assault, just as it seems the Zulus will finally overwhelm the tired defenders, the British soldiers fall back to a tiny redoubt that Chard had earlier ordered constructed out of mealie bags. With a reserve of soldiers hidden within the redoubt, they form into three firing ranks, and seamlessly pour volley after volley into the stunned wave of attacking natives, who are completely annihilated. The rest of the Zulu forces withdraw. After sustaining no attacks for three whole hours, the defenders are still recovering when the Zulus reform again on the Oscarberg. Just when the exhausted defenders are resigned to being wiped out, the Zulus instead sing a song to honour the bravery of the defenders, and then peacefully leave.
The film ends with another narration by Richard Burton, listing the defenders who received the Victoria Cross, including Private Hook. Eleven were awarded for the fighting at Rorke's Drift.
Read more about this topic: Zulu (film)
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