“An exciting film in its own right, Zulu is also a measure of the post-World War II sense of the colonial past that allowed British filmmakers to escape the chauvinism and self-congratulation of the pre-war films.

“In Zulu, based on an actual incident in the Zulu War of 1879, both British troops and Zulu warriors are presented as brave and resourceful men, without the cultural mocking that would have been present in a similar film of the 1930's, as in Gunga Din. Much of the film is concerned with explaining the Zulu society and making their motivations for war seem reasonable. The climax, and the most bloody part of the film, is the attack by some 4,000 Zulu warriors on the doomed British garrison of 141 men stationed at Roarkes Drift.... Endfield's directing, especially of the gripping battle scenes... avoids both excessive moralizing and shallow adventurism.”