There’s enough swash and buckle about Tap Roots to rate it good box-office in general situations. […] The plot’s high romance, the color lensing of the Civil War costumes, sex implications and broad action are salable values that will give it ticket-window attention to a good degree. The George Marshall production for Walter Wanger Pictures. Inc. spins a fact-fiction tale of a Mississippi valley family that tried to stand against the south and the north at the beginning of the war between the states. Marshall’s direction points up the pulp-fiction quality of the narrative, giving sweep to the mass-action battle scenes. Characters are colorful, if unbelievable, and are generally well played. […] Script by Alan LeMay is based on James Street’s novel of the same title, and has necessarily watered down some of the book’s more salty moments. Plot deals with the Dabney family and its efforts to maintain a neutral valley in the south when the Civil War comes. No Union soldiers ride through the footage, battle action taking place between the diehard recruits of the Dabneys and the wearers of the grey. Romantic conflict springs from characters of Van Heflin and Susan Hayward. Latter, fiery daughter of the Dabney tribe, gets her first emotional shakeup when Heflin, newspaper editor, decides she’s the girl for him. There’s plenty of smoldering sex in their scenes together – just about as much as the screen allows. That fact lends itself to exploitation, as does her sacrifice scene, when she goes to spend the night with a former fiancé to give the Dabneys more time to draw their battle lines. Miss Hayward benefits from a welldrawn character and plays it to the hilt. Heflin’s ability overcomes difficulty of a role not a clearly defined. Boris Karloff is excellent as an Indian friend of the family. […] Smoky Mountains location in North Carolina and Tennessee, where the Mississippi story was filmed, lends itself magnificently to the color lensing of Lionel Lindon and Winton C. Hoch. Scenic beauty makes for standout production dress.

William Brogdon, “Variety”, 30 June 1948