One of the finest films of its type ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2002)

ZULU is an outstanding film of considerable merit for a variety of reasons. First, it tells a factual story quite accurately for the most part. Second, it is beautifully shot, directed, acted and edited. Third, it is unashamed of its bias towards courage and heroism, especially refreshing in our current age of cynicism and complacency. Within the context of its historical setting, ZULU presents a small regiment of British soldiers (mostly Welsh) who, following a disastrous defeat of their main body of men the day before, withstand an horrific onslaught from 4,000 equally brave Zulu warriors for a day and a half. As testimony to the Brits courage, eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded to survivors of this famous battle at Rorke's Drift.
The film also features the starring debut of Michael Caine, here sporting a posh upper-class accent. But it is Stanley Baker, the Welsh star and producer, who is the backbone of this film. His portrayal of commander John Chard's calm and cool under fire is indicative of the bravery of these exceptional soldiers.
The terror of battle is conveyed brilliantly and the tactics of both sides are shown, thus making the siege interesting and highly dramatic.
ZULU is my all-time favourite film and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in history who likes rousing adventure told with care and intelligence.
You'll never forget John Barry's simple, dramatic and highly effective theme music, either!