Zulu (50th Anniversary Edition) [DVD]

A film they would never make today. British soldiers displaying bravery in the face of astonishing odds. Great acting, just an extraordinary film.

An exellent War Movie. A recommended film

Good quality picture, no bad experience and the sound quality perfect and amazing. This film is fantastic.

Good film, excellent quality.

Caine classic. Lots of good actors

A large number of strong words have been written for and against both Blu-ray releases of Zulu when The Twilight Time release was announced for January 2014 in the US and having carefully compared both I will try to bring a little balance! Aspect ratio: This is noticeably wider on all sides in the US release than the UK Paramount. It does not make a great deal of difference to the experience but it is curious why Paramount cut theirs back. I estimate about a 5% difference. Sound: The TT release is lossless stereo whilst the Paramount is regular Dolby stereo. TT sounds more open but I would not say the difference was as large as some have suggested. It is an old film and both are OK, TT is just that bit better. Commentary: Here we have a big difference. TT has a really interesting discussion by two historians, (that unfortunately is NOT subtitled but is played without any sound from the main soundtrack so it is easier to hear if one is hearing impaired). The Paramount commentary is well subtitled and is by another historian and the second director. It is also interesting. Subtitles: Paramount offer regular as well as SDH English and the commentary, TT subtitle the main audio only. Now to the tricky bit, the Picture: When the Paramount came out it was so obviously so immeasurably superior to all the DVDs that had appeared it got rave reviews. The passage of time enables us to have another look and on reflection it is perhaps a bit too bright. The red coats have a tendency to blood red that is not quite correct but the greens on the landscape and the sky come up wonderfully well. On TT the red is rather orange which again is not correct and the landscape is drier with poor rendering of green and just a little haze that inhibits clarity. The Paramount picture is certainly a bit over-cooked but it looks pretty good. This Twilight Time release is more like the cinema but not as good as some other restorations. On balance I just prefer the Paramount but neither are perfect and personal taste will probably be the decider. Extras: Paramount do a better job here but neither are as good as they could have been. Neither offer any opportunity for the Zulus to have a say and they were the real stars of this film. Both discs are region free but the US release is a limited edition and more expensive. I would say it is probably not really worth it except for Zulu fans but it is still pretty good. Many may prefer it. I hope this helps

Good story well acted. Based on fact

Really great quality film

One of the best ever War movies, based on an actual battle, and the Blu Ray version is a clean , clear crisp version. Well worth watching

What a remarkable film this is in so many ways and it is wonderful that so much work has gone into its transfer to Blu-ray. A splendid achievement. The film, released in 1964 is showing its age a little but it remains an epic British war film. Michael Caine, Stanley Baker together with James Booth and Jack Hawkins head up a stellar cast. Worth a look and worth the money.

BLU-RAY DISC REVIEW--UPDATED JUNE 12, 2009: "U.K. Blu-ray Disc will play on standard U.S. Blu-ray Disc players" This review should be placed under the Blu-ray listing of "Zulu"--but as per Amzon's rules, I have to place it here. This is a review of the Blu-ray version of "Zulu". I will not review the plot--although it is truly a masterpiece, a classic with an A-list cast, based on the true story of a small group of British soldiers defending a remote outpost, against thousands of Zulu warriors in colonial South Africa in 1879. If you have never seen this great movie, you will not be disappointed with the plot, the acting, the directing, or any other aspect of this dramatization of actual events. For some reason, this Blu-ray was only released in Europe as a "region-free" disc. I was skeptical that it would play on my U.S.-sold Sony Blu-ray player (that I purchased in Nov. 2008 and in which I have not installed any software updates). The seller assured me that it would play OK--and it did! No problem whatsoever with the video or audio playback. And what a picture! The video quality is as good as any other Blu-ray that I have seen--even including the new blockbusters on Blu-ray--crystal sharp details--almost a 3-D look to the vistas and other images. The redcoats are fire-engine red. There is no evidence of grain and the outstanding images are remarkably consistent throughout the film. There is simply no comparison of the Blu-ray image to the previous DVD version of "Zulu". The audio is fine (other reviewers have complained about the sound--but, the original was mono--it's perfectly fine, in my opinion). If you are as picky as I am about upgrading your movie collection to Blu-ray, you will not be disappointed with this upgrade. Unfortunately, this item is only for sale on Amazon through a limited number of marketplace sellers. There seems to be a constant trickle of offers from these sellers. I spent about $15 more on this disc than the usual Blu-ray purchase--but it was worth it. Highly recommended! Listed below is my previous review, based on the standard DVD release. I almost did not purchase a DVD of "Zulu" based on the mostly negative comments (by other Amazon reviewers) regarding the quality of the video and sound transfer to DVD. Well, I took a chance--and wow! The transfer to DVD is excellent! The format is anamorphic widescreen, enhanced for 16 x 9 large-screen, high-definition TVs. My comments are based on the Region 1, May 2003 DVD release by MGM. The DVD cover artwork is a painting (not a photo) that shows a likeness of Michael Caine in his British uniform. There are apparently older versions or knock-offs that might be the source of those other negative comments regarding the picture quality. I have a high-defintion TV and I am very particular about the quality of the transfer of old films (like this, filmed in 1964) to DVD. I watched "Zulu" on a 46-inch Samsung high-def, LCD TV, played via a Toshiba 1080p HD DVD player. The picture is crystal clear (I did not notice any grain or dirt), the colors perfect (good flesh tones--and the British red coats are their true bright red, not washed-out orange as another reviewer commented), and the sound is also good. If you have a high-defintion TV with surround sound, you will not be disappointed. This DVD edition of this 1964 classic is highly recommended!

I play this on my North American Panasonic UB820 and it works without any issue. Before buying check with the supplier to ensure the copy they send isn't region-coded. Video quality is excellent. At first, I thought the sound was mono, but when I turned up the volume, the stereo sound became apparent (UB820, Marantz NR1200, Oberon 5s, LG C1). Sound quality is decent once the volume is up. It is a great movie and much improved over my DVD edition.

Zulu es una de mis películas favoritas de todos los tiempos. No hay mucho que decir de esta cinta que no se haya dicho antes. Escenificada maravillosamente, cuenta con grandes interpretaciones, grandes paisajes, gran banda sonora y sus escenas de combate son de las más Memorables en la historia del cine con sus miles y miles de extras. El Dvd de Región 1 trae buena calidad de imagen y se deja ver con gusto. Solo Incluye su Audio original en Inglés con Subtitulos en Español. Muy Satisfecho con la Compra.