Michael Caine Slams U.K. Report Claiming ‘Zulu’ Could Incite Terrorists and Far-Right Extremists: ‘Biggest Load of Bulls—‘
variety.comZack Sharf Digital News Director Michael Caine recently told The Spectator (via IndieWire) that it’s “bullshit” his 1964 war epic “Zulu” was cited on a recent United Kingdom counter-terrorism report.
The controversial Prevent strategy flagged a handful of popular films, British sitcoms, works of literature and more as possible sources of inspiration for terrorist groups and far-right extremists. “Zulu” was cited alongside “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Brave New World,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and the BBC’s original “House of Cards,” among other titles. “That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard,” Caine said bluntly when told the news about “Zulu” being classified as a “key text” for “white nationalists and supremacists.” “Zulu,” directed by Cy Endfield, opened in 1964 and served as Caine’s first major breakthrough film role following a string of uncredited movie appearances.
The movie is set during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and follows a group of 150 British soldiers who fend off thousands of Zulu warriors.
Caine stars as an inexperienced lieutenant officer in the film, which marked his jump from stage actor to movie star. Caine said he landed a role in “Zulu” after an American director saw him playing “a cockney bloke in the West End in a play called ‘Next Time I’ll Sing To You,'” adding, “The director in the audience saw me and gave me a part in the film ‘Zulu’ as a posh officer.
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