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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Cy Endfield co-wrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives, with the British contingent outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another, and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land nonetheless is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift which followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Why Imperialism
A very good action, war story;this film has it all - glorius scenery,great musical sound track, deep look into the human condition. There are rousing battle scenes and tender moments of comraderie.It is an excellent look into the Victorian emperialistic world.
Rating: - Victory by bare footed natives
Zulu Dawn is an excellent and historically accurate movie. It seems to have been actually filmed at Isandalwana, Natal where the action took place. Unfortunately, this movie should have come out before the excellent 'Zulu', simply because the massacre at Isandalwana occurred before the fight at Rourkes Drift depicted in Zulu.
It is also not quite as good of a film as is 'Zulu' which is a bit difficult to understand because this is clearly the better and more expensive production. ... Read More
Rating: - Zulu Dawn
Great acting about a true event in African/British history. It was sad to see how being 'stiff' and following tradional and order defeated the British. Good movie.
Rating: - Good double feature with Zulu.
While this movie isn't up to the level of Stanley Baker's "Zulu" it's pretty good and makes for a good double feature with that movie, which is why I bought it.
Rating: - The forgotten epic
It is exciting to find this available for US distribution as it was previously only found in other region code DVD offerings, you had to have a non-region player to see it. The photography is grand and the score works. The opening and closing titles are wonderful bookends and the scenes in the King's kraal are magnificent. There are scenes missing from the original release so this is not a restoration, simply a good transfer of what has been available. Folks put this film down but they are nuts, ... Read More
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