"Zulu Dawn is about the disastrous rout that preceded it: the battle of Isandlwana. The combat scenes are impressively staged, but almost the entire film seems like a second-unit director's sequence, the battle itself is one very extended, classy B-roll with none of the internal drama, confrontation and light and shade that had made Zulu so potent."
"At the outset, Zulu Dawn has a great deal of very shrewd and well-managed scene-setting showing us an arrogant (though not incompetent) officer class, and the promise of highly-flavoured performances from a starry ensemble cast. Peter O'Toole is haughty Lt Gen Lord Chelmsford; Burt Lancaster is experienced and disillusioned Col Durnford, Denholm Elliott his face naturally set in that characteristic grimace of suppressed fear is Col Pulleine."
Zulu Dawn is a 1979 prequel to the acclaimed 1964 film Zulu, focusing on the battle of Isandlwana rather than Rorke's Drift. The film features an impressive ensemble cast including Peter O'Toole, Burt Lancaster, and Denholm Elliott, portraying British officers with varying competence and honor. While the combat sequences are well-staged, the film functions primarily as extended battle footage lacking the internal drama and character complexity that made the original Zulu compelling. The opening scenes effectively establish the arrogant officer class and promise strong performances, but the narrative fails to deliver the emotional depth and confrontation that characterized its predecessor. The film received modest reception upon release.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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