3. Private Henry Hook- Zulu
How He Was Screwed: Zulu is undoubtedly an all time classic, being half welsh there is few scenes as inspirational as the rendition of Men of Harlech after the fierce battle of Rorkes Drift. However the film did not look kindly on one then Private Henry Hook. The film portrays the solider as an insubordinate drunkard with a tendency to feign illness. However this was not the case
In Reality: According to reports there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the real Henry Hook was anything like the character played by James Booth. Shortly before Rorkes Drift, Hook had in fact been awarded Good Conduct pay. In the film, Hook is consigned to the hospital as a form of arrest, however Hook was actually specifically assigned there to protect the building and its patients. What is more, evidence shows that Hook the complete opposite of the drunkard he is seen to be, he was a known teetotaller. The filmmakers have admitted that they falsified the account of Private Hook, claiming that the film needed an anti-hero, someone with the room to redeem themselves over the course of the battle and present themselves as an unlikely hero. Does this make it ok?