Shaka Zulu (1986): Season 1, Episode 5 - Episode #1.5 - full transcript
Shaka has grown into a fine young man. Senzangakona invites him to return to Zululand and become the heir apparent, but upon his return he is forced to flee for his life. He is eventually taken in by another tribe and trains as a soldier.
["We Are Growing" playing]
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ We are growing higher ♪
♪ Growing higher ♪
[indistinct conversation]
[Senzangakona]
Be careful with it.
Don't hurt it.
[speaking Zulu]
Shaka has a brother now.
Ngwadi.
Gendeyana is the father.
Things have changed.
How?
When we helped him escape,
it was because I believed
it was for the good
of our people?
I now know that we were right.
King K'andlo
at the Qwabes wants him.
Makedama of the Elangeni
also wants him.
Whether it be out
at the true friendship or fear,
they all want him
on their side.
Yet we, who know better
than any of the prophesy,
remain silent.
I think the time has come
for Shaka
to take his place here,
in this royal house.
He knows nothing
about his father...
except for the one sided stories
his mother tells him.
It is time he heard the truth
from your own lips.
And what is the truth?
That you love him.
[dramatic music playing]
You never cease
to amaze me, my sister.
Your son will soon be a man,
and he will come and claim his
right as a leader of Amazulu.
Win him back, brother!
Win him back from that woman
before it is too late...
before we regret
having saved his life!
[folk music playing]
Nkosi.
Nkosi.
[speaking Zulu]
Ndabezitha... my prince.
I bring you a message
from your father,
King Senzangakona.
He is grieved by the fact
that his son
has chosen to wander
in distant lands
to live under foreign kings.
He asks for his son's return
to the home of his forefathers
so that he can publicly
and in front of his own people,
be proclaimed heir to the throne
of the House of Zulu.
And what of my mother?
[intense music playing]
My king requests
the return of his son only.
Heir, you say, Lutuli?
Yes, Ndabezitha.
So be it.
Tell my father
I will be the heir
to the throne of the Amazulu.
[Lutuli] Ndabezitha.
[speaking Zulu]
[dramatic music playing]
We have gathered
the boys of an age...
set to become men.
Today...
you boys become men.
But first...
receive the spear...
and war shield...
symbols that you are prepared...
to fight... and to be
the shield of Amazulu.
Usuyindoda... usuyindoda...
usuyindoda.
[intense music playing]
Today...
you are all going
to receive "umnaele".
A symbol that you are men.
Shaka Zulu...heir
to the Zulu throne,
step forward.
Wear it proudly...
my son.
[music continues playing]
Proudly? Must I wear it proudly?
And spit on my mother's pride?
Where were you
when we nearly died of hunger?
Persecuted by the scum
of this land.
Now, that your calf has grown
to be a bull with horns...
you want him
in your Royal House?
I accept the spear and shield...
symbols that make me
a Zulu warrior.
But this...
I'll take by force...
as I've made everything
that I am...
by force.
[speaking Zulu]
If my mother
is not your royal wife.
Then I know no man
Senzangakona Ka Jama.
Enough! Enough!
Leave the land of the Zulus now!
At sundown
the warriors will follow.
If they catch you,
they will kill you.
Go!
[indistinct conversation]
[theme music playing]
I will be king!
[thunder rumbling]
[wolf howling]
[narrator] Once again Shaka's
destiny was being guided
by the great "Isangoma,"
Sitayi.
For that night as he fled
the warriors of his father
legend records
that she caused him
to stumble upon
an ambush in the forest
and although,
he did not realize it
his action
on this fateful night
would in later years
lead directly
to the fulfillment of
the 'isangoma's' prophesy.
[people clamoring]
[leaves rustling]
[crickets chirping]
[owl hooting]
[breathing heavily]
[crickets chirping]
[bird cooing]
[grunting]
[birds chirping]
This is where
I must leave you, Shaka.
I must go that way.
And I pray that
when we are no longer wanderers
we will meet again...
under more
pleasant circumstances.
Go now, before
the Zulus find you.
Shaka...
[dramatic music]
thank you.
[narrator] The two fugitives,
Dingiswaya and Shaka
would indeed meet again
but it would be under
very different circumstances.
One would have become the king
of a powerful paramountcy,
the other would still
be a fugitive.
The years passed
and Shaka continued
to live under King Kandla
of the Qwabes
at Gendeyana's kraal,
together with his mother...
developing from adolescence
into a powerful warrior.
His reputation as
a skilled fighter gaining him
support amongst the Zulus
and threatening
his father's heirs.
And well they must
have been concerned,
for all the while
Sitayi maintained
her spiritual influence
over Shaka's destiny,
as he moved ever closer
to the goal she had set
for him.
Since the disgrace of t
he initiation ceremony
all those years ago,
he continues
to discredit you, Nkosi.
He has publicly challenged
your supremacy as the leader
of the Zulu people.
and now he has forbidden
your Royal herdsmen
to take your cattle
to the land of the Owabes.
Our failure to act against him
will make the people feel
that we fear the superstition
that surrounds him.
He is no longer your calf,
Nkosi, he is a bull,
testing its horns.
Frankly, elder,
his reaction should not come
as such a surprise to us.
After so many years
of forced exile,
we should have anticipated
his hostility.
Perhaps, Dadewetu,
but we would be fools
to condone it,
especially since his hostilities
surpasses the limits of treason.
He must be brought back, baba,
charged with high treason
and if found guilty
by the council...
executed according
to the laws of the land.
This is a vicious circle, Mudli.
Exiled to avoid death.
Now the death penalty
is a consequence of his exile.
Perhaps, my sister,
you can think of another way
of saving him?
My purpose, Nkosi,
has never been to save him.
Personally, I only wish
what is best for our people.
Can you see Dingane there
and Siguiana
standing up to him
after your death?
The Amazulu would be
plunged into civil war.
With the support he is getting
amongst your people,
he could win.
The Elder is right.
We are faced with an act
of high treason,
but who ultimately is to blame
for that crime,
the boy or his mother?
-Baba, I--
-Hey, let her finish, Mudli.
Can we truthfully say that
Shaka's words and actions are
the fruit of his own disloyalty?
Or are they, instead,
a defiance of his mother?
Members of the council,
there can be no doubt
that the boy represents power.
We have seen that
in all his actions.
Why destroy that power
when we can still harness it
for the good of our people?
He's still young.
He can be still molded.
but we must put an end
to this woman's influence.
She must be tried
for treason and witchcraft...
and if found guilty, executed.
You speak of witchcraft,
Dadewetu.
It seems
it has blinded you.
What does it take
to open your eyes...
the death of our king?
Enough.
We have waited too long, Mudli.
Find him. Bring him back.
And I want him, alive.
[chanting]
[indistinct conversations]
You must go with your mother.
I will follow as soon as I can.
Shaka will look after you.
[dramatic music playing]
Go now.
Go well, my child.
Look after them, Shaka.
They need you more than ever.
If you reconsider, baba,
we will be on the banks
of the Umfungazi River.
We'll wait for three days.
If you don't come...
we'll move on.
She doesn't belong to me.
She never was meant
to belong to me.
I'll never forget you, baba...
for what you have done
for us... for her.
Go now, before it's too late.
[dramatic music
continues playing]
Do you think
Gendeyana will come?
No, but they will.
Their reputations at stake.
[people screaming]
[first warrior]
They might be there! Find them!
They are gone.
It is only him here!
Where have they gone?
[grunts]
Now, tell me,
where have they gone?
I'll tell you... nothing.
They can't be far,
we'll find them!
Masahambeni madoda!
[foreboding music playing]
[foreboding music playing]
[birds chirping]
Go to grandmother's grave.
I'll meet you there
in a week at the most.
And, mother, this is
the last time you're running.
Hurry! We must go.
[indistinct conversation]
Alive.
It'll only slow him down,
to make our job easier.
[grunting]
[shouts]
[speaking Zulu]
He's down there!
[speaking Zulu]
[chanting]
[foreboding music playing]
[grunts]
[man grunting]
[men speaking Zulu]
[grunts]
[dramatic music playing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[indistinct conversation]
[dramatic music playing]
[indistinct conversation]
[grunts]
[indistinct singing]
[speaking in native language]
[men speaking Zulu]
[Dilikane]
Put that man down!
Wozani, madoda!
Pick him up!
He needs help or he'll die!
Yes, he will. But not until
he is tried for treason.
Now, pick him up!
Leave that man alone.
I said, let him go!
This is none of your concern,
old man.
Shaka belongs to us.
You are
in Mtetwa territory now.
Your internal matters
have no meaning here.
Pick him up!
I suggest don't, Zulu!
Who will stop us, you?
No, but they will.
[cheering]
Those Zulus are very far
from home.
I wonder
what they are doing here?
That's a very good question.
Now, move, you will take him
to my Kraal?
All right, pick him up.
[children laughing]
Kuta! Keep an eye on the Zulus.
I'm going to see
what's happened.
[panting]
And now, father?
[speaking Zulu]
Will he live?
I'll do my best.
[people cheering]
[chanting]
-A Zulu, you say, are you sure?
-Yes, Nikosi.
And what is his name?
They tell us he's called Shaka.
The Zulus are waiting for him,
but I left my troops to see
that they do not get to him.
He's getting
the best medicine possible?
What are you saying?
His condition is desperate.
It looks as though
he may not recover.
I see, if he should recover,
we should see him.
[speaking Mtetwa]
[drum roll]
[howling]
[foreboding music playing]
[howling]
[people panicking]
[foreboding music playing]
[women screaming]
[thunder claps]
[crowd clamoring]
[men singing]
[narrator]
Shaka, the fugitive,
was now about to reap
the rewards of that fateful
night in the forest
so many years ago,
when he delayed his own flight
from danger to help
an unknown warrior.
What he did not know then
was that the man whose life
he'd saved was, in fact ,
a Mtetwa prince.
[grunts]
Rise, Shaka.
It is my fortune
that you have recovered.
You--
It would appear
that our destinies
are interlocked, Shaka.
Godogwana?
Dingiswayo the "Wanderer."
[pleasant music playing]
I don't mean
to sound disrespectful,
Wena Wezulu...
but what are you doing here?
-[laughing]
-Hlala phansi!
[speaking Zulu]
I'm trying my best to run
my people's tempestuous hearts.
And what are you doing here?
Trying my best to run from
my people's tempestuous hearts!
What is this talk of...
"Treason?"
I'm not completely sure.
But I think my father
has decided that
a dead son is less of an
inconvenience than a live one.
-[laughter]
-What do you want me
to say to you?
Whatever you think
will fit the situation.
I want you and your men
out of my kingdom by sunset.
How's that?
It's been known to work,
Wena Wezulu.
What will I tell my king, Nkosi?
That his son is my guest.
My son, his guest,
is that all he had to say?
-Yeba, Nkosi!
-Phuma!
-Phuma!
-Nkosi.
No purpose is served
by getting so angry.
Since the day he was conceived,
this "Shaka" has brought me only
disrepute and outrage!
Twice I have asked war
with the Elangeni for his sake.
And now,
after two dozen of
my best warriors return
empty handed,
I am told that he lives under
the shadow of
the mighty Dingiswayo,
the ruler of what is becoming
the most powerful
paramouncy in this land!
That boy...
is already on my throne...
making decisions for me.
manipulating the fate
of my house through
his powerful friends.
We will be virtually isolated!
The time has come for me
to force my hand.
The time has finally come
for war!
But, Nkosi war with
the Mtetwas is suicide!
they out number us ten to one!
-But perhaps by talking--
-No, Mudli! No more messengers.
No more discussions.
We're outnumbered,
but Dingiswayo has other enemies
like King Pungashe
of the Buthelezi.
I'm sure that he and I will find
that we now have
a great deal in common.
War! There is no other way.
Our dignity is at stake.
[breathing heavily]
[dramatic music playing]
And, perhaps, my throne.
[indistinct chattering]
[pleasant music playing]
The king, I mean.
You two look
like old friends.
What did you do?
Save his life?
Yes.
[narrator]
The Shaka had at last found
a protector in Dingiswayo,
a man who dreamed
of bringing peace,
unity, and a common identity
to the peoples of his regime.
Dingiswayo had begun to realize
a dream which would eventually
be Shaka's to finish.
Here you learn to sleep
in the open, like a soldier.
I told you men
to keep this place clean!
-Dlaba?
-Huh?
You just have to know
how to keep them in line!
[laughs]
You will sleep over here...
[intense music]
You'll sleep over there.
I'll leave you men
to get acquainted.
Kuta!
[speaking in native language]
I'm Mgobzi. This is Dlaba,
and that's Nqoboka.
That's Mtonga.
Over there is Joko.
Which place is mine?
Over here.
I don't care whose friend he is,
he makes me nervous!
-Who?
-The Zulu.
This is his first day here
and he's already telling me
how to run my regiment.
Why? What did he say?
He didn't have
to say anything,
it's his eyes
that did the talking.
I've never seen such
an arrogant bastard
in all my life!
Come, aren't you
exaggerating
a bit, Bhuza?
You see, all the men
are pretty much on
the defensive
when they arrive here.
Give him a chance to acclimatise
to military life.
Oh, he'll get used
to military life, all right.
I'll make sure he does.
[dramatic music playing]
[indistinct chattering]
He promises to be
the best soldier
we've ever had.
Only if his attitude changes.
Men like him could be
dangerous in battle.
He's too independent.
This is ridiculous.
You couldn't hit
an elephant from this distance!
Excuse me, General.
Yes?
The fronts are too far apart.
-Too far apart?
-Yes, General.
By the time our spears reach
the enemy, they have
no thrust left.
I see.
And what do we suggest
we do about that?
Rush the other line!
Get in closer!
So we can throw our spears
with more precision.
Maybe even stab the enemy!
Our traditional distance
is 50 paces.
I know, sir. But I don't think
it's effective.
Not effective?
Wars have been fought like this
for as long as anyone
can remember,
and you come along
and say "It's not effective?"
Yes, General.
Who do you think you are?
A soldier, General.
Trying to do my job
as best I can.
Don't you realize, soldier,
that if we start rushing them,
they'll start rushing us?
That if they have
more casualties, so will we?
I've thought of that, General.
I think it's advisable
to make our shields bigger.
Large enough to cover
the whole body.
In that way we can get as close
as we need to
and still be well protected.
Then why don't we just
go into battle wearing our huts?
Too cumbersome, General.
The distance is 50 paces.
Our shields remain the same.
-Is that clear?
-Yes, General.
Now go back to your regiment.
And if you have
any other smart ideas,
keep them to yourself.
I don't like troublemakers.
Yes, General.
Next thing you know,
he'll be telling us
our spears are too long!
But they are, General.
[speaking in native language]
[chanting]
[speaking in native language]
Where are your sandals?
Here they are, General.
They slow me down.
I won't be needing them.
Are you trying to tell me that
your feet are tougher
than ox hide soles?
Yes, General.
[speaking in native language]
Put it out with your foot!
[indistinct conversations ]
As I said, General...
"I won't be needing them."
I don't care!
If you can put a volcano out
with those feet!
You are a soldier!
Soldiers wear sandals!
Put them back on!
Yes, General!
Generals like Bhuza
are dangerous.
He lacks imagination.
His mind is as nimble
as a slab of stone!
That's the way it should be.
Soldiers take orders
without thinking.
Yes, Mgobozi. Soldiers should.
But not Generals!
Warfare must be a vital,
creative process!
What can be creative
about killing?
A man chosen to wield life
and death on the battlefield
must be an artist.
If he isn't,
he's simply a murderer.
What's the difference?
You'll know soon enough
when we march against
the Dlamini.
[indistinct chattering]
[speaking in native language]
[men singing
in native language]
[narrator] The Battle against
the Dlaminis
was to be a turning point
in Shaka's fighting career.
The battles were often staged
in a manner somewhat
in the character
of a jousting tournament.
These battles comprised
demonstrative gestures
with the occasional flinging
of long stemmed spears.
Whenever an army exhausted
its supplies,
then the warriors would join
their supporting spectators,
singing, hurling verbal abuse
and in this way generally
trying to outdo the other side.
Occasionally some would enter
the foray,
and some may be wounded
or overpowered.
But it generally remained
a festive occasion.
And when the day was done,
and the battle fought,
it was argued that surely
war was won by subjugation,
and not by destruction.
Shaka would
not see it that way.
That's it? That's war?
Yes, in all it's gory details.
Not if I can help it!
Where does he think he's going?
He can't do that!
He doesn't strike me
as the type
who knows the meaning
of the word "can't, " General.
[people laughing]
[instrumental music]
[dramatic music playing]
[singing in native language]
["We Are Growing" playing]
♪ Be a man of greatness now ♪
♪ A man so tall a man so kind
Be a man of wisdom now ♪
♪ A man of mind a man of blind
Be a man of kindness now ♪
♪ A man so big strong in min
Be a man so humble now ♪
♪ A man of men
Now let it shine ♪
♪ This is what you are ♪
♪This is how it was
Planned now ♪
♪ This is what to be
Every kind of man now ♪
♪ This is what to say
With a kind of meaning ♪
♪ This is what to feel
With a kind of feeling ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ Hear the children
Hear the children ♪
♪ They are talking to him ♪
♪ Hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow ♪
♪ It is blowing for him ♪
♪ See the grass grow
See the grass grow ♪
♪ It whispers his name ♪
♪ See the fire blow
See the fire blow ♪
♪ In his heart is the flame ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ay-y-y-ete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
Subtitles downloaded with "Netflix subtitle downloader" UserScript by Tithen-Firion.
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ We are growing higher ♪
♪ Growing higher ♪
[indistinct conversation]
[Senzangakona]
Be careful with it.
Don't hurt it.
[speaking Zulu]
Shaka has a brother now.
Ngwadi.
Gendeyana is the father.
Things have changed.
How?
When we helped him escape,
it was because I believed
it was for the good
of our people?
I now know that we were right.
King K'andlo
at the Qwabes wants him.
Makedama of the Elangeni
also wants him.
Whether it be out
at the true friendship or fear,
they all want him
on their side.
Yet we, who know better
than any of the prophesy,
remain silent.
I think the time has come
for Shaka
to take his place here,
in this royal house.
He knows nothing
about his father...
except for the one sided stories
his mother tells him.
It is time he heard the truth
from your own lips.
And what is the truth?
That you love him.
[dramatic music playing]
You never cease
to amaze me, my sister.
Your son will soon be a man,
and he will come and claim his
right as a leader of Amazulu.
Win him back, brother!
Win him back from that woman
before it is too late...
before we regret
having saved his life!
[folk music playing]
Nkosi.
Nkosi.
[speaking Zulu]
Ndabezitha... my prince.
I bring you a message
from your father,
King Senzangakona.
He is grieved by the fact
that his son
has chosen to wander
in distant lands
to live under foreign kings.
He asks for his son's return
to the home of his forefathers
so that he can publicly
and in front of his own people,
be proclaimed heir to the throne
of the House of Zulu.
And what of my mother?
[intense music playing]
My king requests
the return of his son only.
Heir, you say, Lutuli?
Yes, Ndabezitha.
So be it.
Tell my father
I will be the heir
to the throne of the Amazulu.
[Lutuli] Ndabezitha.
[speaking Zulu]
[dramatic music playing]
We have gathered
the boys of an age...
set to become men.
Today...
you boys become men.
But first...
receive the spear...
and war shield...
symbols that you are prepared...
to fight... and to be
the shield of Amazulu.
Usuyindoda... usuyindoda...
usuyindoda.
[intense music playing]
Today...
you are all going
to receive "umnaele".
A symbol that you are men.
Shaka Zulu...heir
to the Zulu throne,
step forward.
Wear it proudly...
my son.
[music continues playing]
Proudly? Must I wear it proudly?
And spit on my mother's pride?
Where were you
when we nearly died of hunger?
Persecuted by the scum
of this land.
Now, that your calf has grown
to be a bull with horns...
you want him
in your Royal House?
I accept the spear and shield...
symbols that make me
a Zulu warrior.
But this...
I'll take by force...
as I've made everything
that I am...
by force.
[speaking Zulu]
If my mother
is not your royal wife.
Then I know no man
Senzangakona Ka Jama.
Enough! Enough!
Leave the land of the Zulus now!
At sundown
the warriors will follow.
If they catch you,
they will kill you.
Go!
[indistinct conversation]
[theme music playing]
I will be king!
[thunder rumbling]
[wolf howling]
[narrator] Once again Shaka's
destiny was being guided
by the great "Isangoma,"
Sitayi.
For that night as he fled
the warriors of his father
legend records
that she caused him
to stumble upon
an ambush in the forest
and although,
he did not realize it
his action
on this fateful night
would in later years
lead directly
to the fulfillment of
the 'isangoma's' prophesy.
[people clamoring]
[leaves rustling]
[crickets chirping]
[owl hooting]
[breathing heavily]
[crickets chirping]
[bird cooing]
[grunting]
[birds chirping]
This is where
I must leave you, Shaka.
I must go that way.
And I pray that
when we are no longer wanderers
we will meet again...
under more
pleasant circumstances.
Go now, before
the Zulus find you.
Shaka...
[dramatic music]
thank you.
[narrator] The two fugitives,
Dingiswaya and Shaka
would indeed meet again
but it would be under
very different circumstances.
One would have become the king
of a powerful paramountcy,
the other would still
be a fugitive.
The years passed
and Shaka continued
to live under King Kandla
of the Qwabes
at Gendeyana's kraal,
together with his mother...
developing from adolescence
into a powerful warrior.
His reputation as
a skilled fighter gaining him
support amongst the Zulus
and threatening
his father's heirs.
And well they must
have been concerned,
for all the while
Sitayi maintained
her spiritual influence
over Shaka's destiny,
as he moved ever closer
to the goal she had set
for him.
Since the disgrace of t
he initiation ceremony
all those years ago,
he continues
to discredit you, Nkosi.
He has publicly challenged
your supremacy as the leader
of the Zulu people.
and now he has forbidden
your Royal herdsmen
to take your cattle
to the land of the Owabes.
Our failure to act against him
will make the people feel
that we fear the superstition
that surrounds him.
He is no longer your calf,
Nkosi, he is a bull,
testing its horns.
Frankly, elder,
his reaction should not come
as such a surprise to us.
After so many years
of forced exile,
we should have anticipated
his hostility.
Perhaps, Dadewetu,
but we would be fools
to condone it,
especially since his hostilities
surpasses the limits of treason.
He must be brought back, baba,
charged with high treason
and if found guilty
by the council...
executed according
to the laws of the land.
This is a vicious circle, Mudli.
Exiled to avoid death.
Now the death penalty
is a consequence of his exile.
Perhaps, my sister,
you can think of another way
of saving him?
My purpose, Nkosi,
has never been to save him.
Personally, I only wish
what is best for our people.
Can you see Dingane there
and Siguiana
standing up to him
after your death?
The Amazulu would be
plunged into civil war.
With the support he is getting
amongst your people,
he could win.
The Elder is right.
We are faced with an act
of high treason,
but who ultimately is to blame
for that crime,
the boy or his mother?
-Baba, I--
-Hey, let her finish, Mudli.
Can we truthfully say that
Shaka's words and actions are
the fruit of his own disloyalty?
Or are they, instead,
a defiance of his mother?
Members of the council,
there can be no doubt
that the boy represents power.
We have seen that
in all his actions.
Why destroy that power
when we can still harness it
for the good of our people?
He's still young.
He can be still molded.
but we must put an end
to this woman's influence.
She must be tried
for treason and witchcraft...
and if found guilty, executed.
You speak of witchcraft,
Dadewetu.
It seems
it has blinded you.
What does it take
to open your eyes...
the death of our king?
Enough.
We have waited too long, Mudli.
Find him. Bring him back.
And I want him, alive.
[chanting]
[indistinct conversations]
You must go with your mother.
I will follow as soon as I can.
Shaka will look after you.
[dramatic music playing]
Go now.
Go well, my child.
Look after them, Shaka.
They need you more than ever.
If you reconsider, baba,
we will be on the banks
of the Umfungazi River.
We'll wait for three days.
If you don't come...
we'll move on.
She doesn't belong to me.
She never was meant
to belong to me.
I'll never forget you, baba...
for what you have done
for us... for her.
Go now, before it's too late.
[dramatic music
continues playing]
Do you think
Gendeyana will come?
No, but they will.
Their reputations at stake.
[people screaming]
[first warrior]
They might be there! Find them!
They are gone.
It is only him here!
Where have they gone?
[grunts]
Now, tell me,
where have they gone?
I'll tell you... nothing.
They can't be far,
we'll find them!
Masahambeni madoda!
[foreboding music playing]
[foreboding music playing]
[birds chirping]
Go to grandmother's grave.
I'll meet you there
in a week at the most.
And, mother, this is
the last time you're running.
Hurry! We must go.
[indistinct conversation]
Alive.
It'll only slow him down,
to make our job easier.
[grunting]
[shouts]
[speaking Zulu]
He's down there!
[speaking Zulu]
[chanting]
[foreboding music playing]
[grunts]
[man grunting]
[men speaking Zulu]
[grunts]
[dramatic music playing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[indistinct conversation]
[dramatic music playing]
[indistinct conversation]
[grunts]
[indistinct singing]
[speaking in native language]
[men speaking Zulu]
[Dilikane]
Put that man down!
Wozani, madoda!
Pick him up!
He needs help or he'll die!
Yes, he will. But not until
he is tried for treason.
Now, pick him up!
Leave that man alone.
I said, let him go!
This is none of your concern,
old man.
Shaka belongs to us.
You are
in Mtetwa territory now.
Your internal matters
have no meaning here.
Pick him up!
I suggest don't, Zulu!
Who will stop us, you?
No, but they will.
[cheering]
Those Zulus are very far
from home.
I wonder
what they are doing here?
That's a very good question.
Now, move, you will take him
to my Kraal?
All right, pick him up.
[children laughing]
Kuta! Keep an eye on the Zulus.
I'm going to see
what's happened.
[panting]
And now, father?
[speaking Zulu]
Will he live?
I'll do my best.
[people cheering]
[chanting]
-A Zulu, you say, are you sure?
-Yes, Nikosi.
And what is his name?
They tell us he's called Shaka.
The Zulus are waiting for him,
but I left my troops to see
that they do not get to him.
He's getting
the best medicine possible?
What are you saying?
His condition is desperate.
It looks as though
he may not recover.
I see, if he should recover,
we should see him.
[speaking Mtetwa]
[drum roll]
[howling]
[foreboding music playing]
[howling]
[people panicking]
[foreboding music playing]
[women screaming]
[thunder claps]
[crowd clamoring]
[men singing]
[narrator]
Shaka, the fugitive,
was now about to reap
the rewards of that fateful
night in the forest
so many years ago,
when he delayed his own flight
from danger to help
an unknown warrior.
What he did not know then
was that the man whose life
he'd saved was, in fact ,
a Mtetwa prince.
[grunts]
Rise, Shaka.
It is my fortune
that you have recovered.
You--
It would appear
that our destinies
are interlocked, Shaka.
Godogwana?
Dingiswayo the "Wanderer."
[pleasant music playing]
I don't mean
to sound disrespectful,
Wena Wezulu...
but what are you doing here?
-[laughing]
-Hlala phansi!
[speaking Zulu]
I'm trying my best to run
my people's tempestuous hearts.
And what are you doing here?
Trying my best to run from
my people's tempestuous hearts!
What is this talk of...
"Treason?"
I'm not completely sure.
But I think my father
has decided that
a dead son is less of an
inconvenience than a live one.
-[laughter]
-What do you want me
to say to you?
Whatever you think
will fit the situation.
I want you and your men
out of my kingdom by sunset.
How's that?
It's been known to work,
Wena Wezulu.
What will I tell my king, Nkosi?
That his son is my guest.
My son, his guest,
is that all he had to say?
-Yeba, Nkosi!
-Phuma!
-Phuma!
-Nkosi.
No purpose is served
by getting so angry.
Since the day he was conceived,
this "Shaka" has brought me only
disrepute and outrage!
Twice I have asked war
with the Elangeni for his sake.
And now,
after two dozen of
my best warriors return
empty handed,
I am told that he lives under
the shadow of
the mighty Dingiswayo,
the ruler of what is becoming
the most powerful
paramouncy in this land!
That boy...
is already on my throne...
making decisions for me.
manipulating the fate
of my house through
his powerful friends.
We will be virtually isolated!
The time has come for me
to force my hand.
The time has finally come
for war!
But, Nkosi war with
the Mtetwas is suicide!
they out number us ten to one!
-But perhaps by talking--
-No, Mudli! No more messengers.
No more discussions.
We're outnumbered,
but Dingiswayo has other enemies
like King Pungashe
of the Buthelezi.
I'm sure that he and I will find
that we now have
a great deal in common.
War! There is no other way.
Our dignity is at stake.
[breathing heavily]
[dramatic music playing]
And, perhaps, my throne.
[indistinct chattering]
[pleasant music playing]
The king, I mean.
You two look
like old friends.
What did you do?
Save his life?
Yes.
[narrator]
The Shaka had at last found
a protector in Dingiswayo,
a man who dreamed
of bringing peace,
unity, and a common identity
to the peoples of his regime.
Dingiswayo had begun to realize
a dream which would eventually
be Shaka's to finish.
Here you learn to sleep
in the open, like a soldier.
I told you men
to keep this place clean!
-Dlaba?
-Huh?
You just have to know
how to keep them in line!
[laughs]
You will sleep over here...
[intense music]
You'll sleep over there.
I'll leave you men
to get acquainted.
Kuta!
[speaking in native language]
I'm Mgobzi. This is Dlaba,
and that's Nqoboka.
That's Mtonga.
Over there is Joko.
Which place is mine?
Over here.
I don't care whose friend he is,
he makes me nervous!
-Who?
-The Zulu.
This is his first day here
and he's already telling me
how to run my regiment.
Why? What did he say?
He didn't have
to say anything,
it's his eyes
that did the talking.
I've never seen such
an arrogant bastard
in all my life!
Come, aren't you
exaggerating
a bit, Bhuza?
You see, all the men
are pretty much on
the defensive
when they arrive here.
Give him a chance to acclimatise
to military life.
Oh, he'll get used
to military life, all right.
I'll make sure he does.
[dramatic music playing]
[indistinct chattering]
He promises to be
the best soldier
we've ever had.
Only if his attitude changes.
Men like him could be
dangerous in battle.
He's too independent.
This is ridiculous.
You couldn't hit
an elephant from this distance!
Excuse me, General.
Yes?
The fronts are too far apart.
-Too far apart?
-Yes, General.
By the time our spears reach
the enemy, they have
no thrust left.
I see.
And what do we suggest
we do about that?
Rush the other line!
Get in closer!
So we can throw our spears
with more precision.
Maybe even stab the enemy!
Our traditional distance
is 50 paces.
I know, sir. But I don't think
it's effective.
Not effective?
Wars have been fought like this
for as long as anyone
can remember,
and you come along
and say "It's not effective?"
Yes, General.
Who do you think you are?
A soldier, General.
Trying to do my job
as best I can.
Don't you realize, soldier,
that if we start rushing them,
they'll start rushing us?
That if they have
more casualties, so will we?
I've thought of that, General.
I think it's advisable
to make our shields bigger.
Large enough to cover
the whole body.
In that way we can get as close
as we need to
and still be well protected.
Then why don't we just
go into battle wearing our huts?
Too cumbersome, General.
The distance is 50 paces.
Our shields remain the same.
-Is that clear?
-Yes, General.
Now go back to your regiment.
And if you have
any other smart ideas,
keep them to yourself.
I don't like troublemakers.
Yes, General.
Next thing you know,
he'll be telling us
our spears are too long!
But they are, General.
[speaking in native language]
[chanting]
[speaking in native language]
Where are your sandals?
Here they are, General.
They slow me down.
I won't be needing them.
Are you trying to tell me that
your feet are tougher
than ox hide soles?
Yes, General.
[speaking in native language]
Put it out with your foot!
[indistinct conversations ]
As I said, General...
"I won't be needing them."
I don't care!
If you can put a volcano out
with those feet!
You are a soldier!
Soldiers wear sandals!
Put them back on!
Yes, General!
Generals like Bhuza
are dangerous.
He lacks imagination.
His mind is as nimble
as a slab of stone!
That's the way it should be.
Soldiers take orders
without thinking.
Yes, Mgobozi. Soldiers should.
But not Generals!
Warfare must be a vital,
creative process!
What can be creative
about killing?
A man chosen to wield life
and death on the battlefield
must be an artist.
If he isn't,
he's simply a murderer.
What's the difference?
You'll know soon enough
when we march against
the Dlamini.
[indistinct chattering]
[speaking in native language]
[men singing
in native language]
[narrator] The Battle against
the Dlaminis
was to be a turning point
in Shaka's fighting career.
The battles were often staged
in a manner somewhat
in the character
of a jousting tournament.
These battles comprised
demonstrative gestures
with the occasional flinging
of long stemmed spears.
Whenever an army exhausted
its supplies,
then the warriors would join
their supporting spectators,
singing, hurling verbal abuse
and in this way generally
trying to outdo the other side.
Occasionally some would enter
the foray,
and some may be wounded
or overpowered.
But it generally remained
a festive occasion.
And when the day was done,
and the battle fought,
it was argued that surely
war was won by subjugation,
and not by destruction.
Shaka would
not see it that way.
That's it? That's war?
Yes, in all it's gory details.
Not if I can help it!
Where does he think he's going?
He can't do that!
He doesn't strike me
as the type
who knows the meaning
of the word "can't, " General.
[people laughing]
[instrumental music]
[dramatic music playing]
[singing in native language]
["We Are Growing" playing]
♪ Be a man of greatness now ♪
♪ A man so tall a man so kind
Be a man of wisdom now ♪
♪ A man of mind a man of blind
Be a man of kindness now ♪
♪ A man so big strong in min
Be a man so humble now ♪
♪ A man of men
Now let it shine ♪
♪ This is what you are ♪
♪This is how it was
Planned now ♪
♪ This is what to be
Every kind of man now ♪
♪ This is what to say
With a kind of meaning ♪
♪ This is what to feel
With a kind of feeling ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ We are growing
Growing higher and higher ♪
♪ Hear the children
Hear the children ♪
♪ They are talking to him ♪
♪ Hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow ♪
♪ It is blowing for him ♪
♪ See the grass grow
See the grass grow ♪
♪ It whispers his name ♪
♪ See the fire blow
See the fire blow ♪
♪ In his heart is the flame ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ay-y-y-ete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
♪ Ayete
Gossy ♪
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