All in all...pretty darn good.

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2002)

Let's get this straight...I love this movie and have for twenty years. It has not aged well, though. The action scenes are what you'd expect from 40 years ago and some of the editing and sound editing are weak by today's standards. And those indoor sets!
Events are pretty accurately laid out, however some of the choices made re real characters are mystifying. Why portray that preacher (actually a chaplain) the way they did? He was actually a HERO during the fight--no milktoast at all. The antireligious slant is Stanley Baker's, not history's. As well, the unit, though heavily Welsh, was a majority "English" (if the books are to be believed). For a pretty good summation of this battle, and the ZULU war, pick up "The Washing of the Spears."
As I have recently reviewed "We Were Soldiers" (and having read the reviews from non US residents at that site) I can't help but ask why there is no morale outrage expressed in the reviews of ZULU. WWS is actually considerably more accurate than ZULU, by the way. And what exactly were the British doing in South Africa? That said, I'm really quite a fan of British society, but let's view all war movies under the same lense, shall we :)

Lastly: Has anyone ever been a cool as Nigel Green? Michael Caine was excellent as the fop Bromhead, too.