Patriotic brilliance

Rating: Null/10 (6 May 2005)

The central theme of Zulu is of plucky British resistance against a vastly larger enemy force of highly skilled warriors at the Battle of Rorke's Drift. The battle scenes are first rate and entertainingly capture the spirit of Victorian colonial warfare. Baker and Caine excel as the British officers, ably backed up by an excellent cast. The historical background to the film is equally interesting, Britain's troubles with the local population in Africa leading to bloody fighting and destruction. The great bravery and comradeship of the British Army is captured nicely, whilst the supreme talents of the Zulu warriors are also recreated spectacularly for the audience. The real history behind the film differs somewhat according to what you read and Zulu certainly played up certain themes to produce a more gung-ho picture, but overall it cannot be faulted. The whole film exudes professionalism and is well worth seeing.