Well-composed but frustrating. A lot of chest-thumping about courage and honour, filial duties and obligations. Nothing about it is extraordinarily offensive for its time, but naturally the depictions of "African savagery" in the face of the composure of the British tend to rankle nowadays. I was alternately dismayed and amused by the subtitles to the Criterion version of the film: [chattering in native language.] Like so many birds. Thanks Criterion! The battle of Omdurman of course appears more "heroic" from the British standpoint with their Maxim Guns excluded.
It makes sense that (alleged) British martial and masculine virtues, as well as colonial power, were being showcased in 1939, considering the climate in Europe leading up to the second world war. (Why yet another adaptation was made in 2002 is rather more unclear to me).
Most frustrating, from my own perspective, is that the young intellectual Faversham is not only streamlined into a military career against his will, but is shamed by his friends and wife for being averse to dying in a frivolous colonial revenge mission. His subsequent actions confirm that one should suck it up and "be a man." Evidently that is what his smug wife wanted. Probably he would have been better served becoming a bachelor and a poet--although I'm sure there are many who would disagree.

I imagine the African 'language' the actors are speaking isn't a language but just some nonsense for the film.

absolutely awesome. can't wait until Criterion gets to release it, wherever that may be.