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    Zulu

    Reviewed by
    pietroantoni@

    Don't confuse the new ZULU as a remake of the 1964 ZULU starring Jack Hawkins and Michael Caine, a war drama. ZULU, 2013/2014 is a crime thriller that takes place in South Africa. I'm pretty shocked the film didn't turn out to be a huge hit as it has everything going for it. The film starts with a routine murder, the body of an 18 year old girl found in a Botanical Garden which eventually leads down so many paths with dozens of twists and turns. I was hooked and glued to the screen every moment. A mature Orlando Bloom in a leading role was a revelation as he normally plays second fiddle to other major stars. This role proves he can carry a film, hoping he now gets bigger and better parts. He greatly impressed me! His co-star, Forest Whitaker, a fellow police officer (The Captain) gave his usual exemplary performance. Forest is an extraordinary actor. The rest of the cast is mainly made up of South Africans. The film is spoken in S. A. English as well as dialect (with sub-titles) so one must pay close attention so not to lose the thread of the complicated plot. The genius Alexander Desplat created a thrilling score whose music, as usual, added great depth to a film rich in both thematic ideas and action. The score was stunning as climactic scenes and situations were reached. This is what movie composition is all about. What struck me most in ZULU was the state of South Africa's human condition, as horrendous as Apartheid. I'd swear we were back in those awful 1970's. The country is riddled with crime of every kind, drugs, murder much as in the U. S. of A. Rich, affluent, corrupt Whites still abound in upper echelons, Blacks in what amounts to little better than shanty towns of long ago Soweto. There is mistrust everywhere, Whites and Blacks still on a collision course, Black on Black co-operation abysmal. The film is littered with unspeakable tragedies that make no sense, but then when has crime ever made sense? In this bleak, dark, realistic crime drama nothing lets up for a moment. If I had to sum it up I'd state the saddest, worst tragedy is that today's South Africa is as chilling as the past. This film seriously affected me. We read and see that South African conditions rival the many years MANDELA was imprisoned. There was HOPE once Mandela took office as President, but something since the 90's went terribly wrong. THIS IMPRESSIVE FILM, THOUGH A WORK OF FICTION DEPICTS THE DAILY HORROR that is this African nation. I, frankly, believe it is a lost country which will never have stability, peace or justice, the future holding nothing better. ZULU brings this to our attention in very real, startling ways. It's a world that needs a miracle for new life. We thought the miracle was Mandela. Unfortunately that was a very temporary state of affairs. A second needed miracle for S. A. would be a supreme blessing! I'm very pessimistic for nothing tangible looms on the horizon. I can't say how much I recommend this film.

    9
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    pietroantoni@  23.11.2014 age: 36-49 14,528 reviews

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