rogcbrand Reviews

Zulu Dawn (1979)

One of my favorite war movies

[10/10 · 21 June 2011]

I remember reading a very long book detailing the history of the Zulu- starting with the migration from northern Africa many, many centuries ago, to their arriving in the area of South Africa, at the same time that Portuguese and Dutch colonists were arriving. It then give a very detailed history, including a great look into the actual participants in the Zulu War. "Zulu Dawn" doesn't get it perfect, but it's a lot closer to actual history than most movies come close to! I can see that many of the officers are actually pretty close to those described in the book, when 99.99% of those who watch the movie wouldn't have known if they were wholly made up.

Peter O'Toole and Burt Lancaster are a breed of actor that we'll never see again and it's wonderful to see them in this, but I also loved the performance of all the others. As a kid the image that always stuck in my head was of Melville, toward the end of the battle, jumping his horse over a wrecked cannon, with the Regimental Colours flowing.

This is one of those few movies I want to watch once a year, over and over.

Barbarians (2006– )

Some good history but bends over backwards to bash Rome.

[2/10 · 2 May 2009]

I looked forward to this when it came out, as I realized that the common history tends to paint the "barbarians" as uncivilized. The series does a good job of pointing out that as a lie. However, what bothers me is the tone that basically tells us that Rome had no redeeming qualities, that the "barbarians" were all saintly, advanced and nearly perfect, compared to the evil Romans.

I think the mistakes of the history books could be corrected without going overboard and simply switching from the incorrect view of Rome being the purely civilized empire, while those living in the lands around them were uncivilized and backwards, to having Rome the monster with no civilized values and no real contribution to the future world while those other lands were all so wonderful and purely peaceful.

Why is it so hard for people to try to give a balanced, unbiased account? All to often I get the feeling that there's an ax to grind. History shouldn't be about pushing some personal feelings or desire to bring someone or some nation down a peg, but to simply give us facts.

So, even though I thought this was well done, it was too black and white, in a politically correct way that was more about bashing the Romans than to give us a fair assessment of the time.

The Valley of Light (2006 TV Movie)

Not a movie for those who only like sex and violence...

[10/10 · 9 February 2007]

I loved the way this movie was done. I know many won't like it because it dares to leave out sex, violence, profanity, etc., and just tell a simple tale that makes you feel good. For those people there are nearly an infinite number of choices to see. For the rest of us, this is a rare movie that feels like something from a time before I was born- and it left me feeling happy, and not many of today's movies do that for me.

Also, as most of my closest friends and my oldest nephew live and breath fishing, I'm thinking they'd enjoy it as that is always in the background.

If you watch this, don't go in expecting something convoluted and complex, but rather a very pleasant distraction from all the unpleasantness we usually see in the movies.

The Flats (2002)

Great Movie!

[9/10 · 12 February 2006]

It has a great mixture of sad and happy, but the crazy energy keeps the sad from being depressing. I love films like this, because if I want to be brought down, I'll just read the newspaper. No matter what happens, I never feel like the movie is trying to beat me into submission like so many others do, yet it isn't light and fluffy. I think they got the right balance in all the emotions, problems and even in not tying everything up in a perfect finish. That gives it the feel of real life and real people, with all their quirks and not always having all the answers to life's troubles.

This is different and I'm really glad I stumbled upon it.

Roger