Customer Reviews

Waterloo (1971) with Rod Steiger

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This looks like a VHS copy onto a DVD, and sounds like one also. Such a great picture needs a studio remastering onto DVD, why this hasn't happened is beyond me. I would have given this 3 stars, but it is such a wonderful movie with so many real extras in the battle scenes. Rod Steiger is outstanding.

"Waterloo" is the lavish 1970 Italian-Russian dramatization of Napoleon's return from exile in 1815 and his subsequent campaign against an Allied military force in Belgium, culminating in his decisive defeat at Waterloo.

A brief prologue traces the circumstances of Napoleon's abdication from his throne as Emperor of the French in 1814 and his exile to the Island of Elba. The movie opens with Napoleon's daring return, as the sheer power of his personality cult enables him to face down the very forces sent to take him into custody. Napoleon's return to Paris prompts the Allied Coalition that forced his abdiction to reform and send British and Prussian armies into Belgium.

The movie features excellent period authenticity. Actors appear in the correct uniforms and equipment; the battle scenes feature large formations of infantry and cavalry moving over a battlefield that generally resembles the Mount St. Jean original in Belgium.

The movie is superbly cast. Rod Stieger is entirely credible as the aging but still fiercely ambitious and egotistical Napoleon. Christopher Plummer is pitch-perfect as the aristocratic Duke of Wellington, highly capable leader of a British-Dutch Army, acting in concert with a Prussian Army under General Blutcher. Orson Welles has a nice cameo as Louis XVIII. The supporting cast universally look their parts.

The Battle of Waterloo has been challenging for generations of historians to describe. Likewise, this movie dramatization can be very difficult to follow. The movie faithfully depicts various dramatic moments in the battle, although it seems to presume some prior knowledge on the part of the viewer as to the context of those moments. It repeatedly changes points of view, alternating for the most part between Napoleon and Wellington. There are several supporting vignettes involving Marshall Ney and others. The movie succeeds in building up enormous dramatic tension as the battle nears its climax, even if the viewer may not be entirely clear on what is happening and why.

This movie is highly recommended to fans of the Napoleonic era as perhaps the best-available dramatization of the Battle of Waterloo.

I was delighted to find this movie in DVD format.It is without a doubt one of the greatest War Films ever made! This import was a great buy and its sound and image quality are excellent.

This film depicts one of the greatest military victories in British history and, for the French, one of the most disastrous. The Battle of Waterloo puts an end to Napoleon Bonaparte's impressive career of invasions and occupations in Europe. A Great DVD to Own.

I have this on VHS and its great. I burned a copy to my DVD and it still looked good. For some reason this purchased DVD looks worst then my DVD copy. The colors are more muted and the widescreen looks small. Love the movie so why can't they do a better DVD. On the other hand, the service from supplyer69 was great

Director Sergei Bandarchuk recreates the 1815 battle of Waterloo. The phrase 'They just don't make 'em like that anymore' immediately comes to mind. You will never see another film made on this scale again with literally a 'cast of thousands' of uniformed soldiers and extras. Vast in scope. It will all be CGI from now on, which can be very good, but will never equal this kind of huge undertaking. The only scene's that can top these are from Russian director Sergei Bondarchuk's previous, even more epic film, War and Peace. I think I can remember reading in Guiness Book of World Records one time that he used 100,000 men from the Russian Army to recreate the 1812 battle of Borodino in what may be, adjusted for inflation, the most expensive film in history. I understand he again used Russian Army soldiers as extras for this film.

This is a film that deserves a top notch remastering into HD. This version is good and well worth watching but you will understand what I am saying because of the tremendous amount of detail present in the film that just does not fully come across in this transfer.

I thought Christopher Plummer played Wellington to perfection as far as everything I have ever read about him and his actions during the battle. Rod Stieger is great as Napoleon with all of his personal quirks. All of the other actors seemed well cast.

I don't know if it's true that there is a longer version or not but a few early scenes do seem rather disjointed such as the part where Napoleon has just won the battle of Ligny. There is absolutely no lead in for the viewer and virtually no developement of the character of the Prussian Marshall Blucher. If you had never read on the subject you would be completely lost. Some of the scenes perfectly recreate famous paintings of the battle I have seen such as the charge of the Scot's Grey's and the attack of Napoleons 'Old Guard'. The attention to detail is superb.

This version has one problem and that is the subtitles will not turn off once you have turned them on, so don't do it. The English subtitles are completely rediculous, if you actually read them, they are so far off from what is actually being said to be a complete joke. Otherwise, it's Chinese characters, which are at least less distracting than the assinine and distracting English one's. How this is the only version available is beyond me.

So do yourself a favor and check out this great film.

This Russian production starring Rod Steiger and directed by Sergei Bonderchuck is an outstanding movie and well worth purchasing even if you are not a "military type"....HOWEVER....the import version from China is NOT as crisp and clear as the one being produced by a Russian distributor...so if you can find the Russian release go for it...it has English language with Russian subtitles....I have both versions and the Russian one is better.

This is undoubtedly one of the must convincing movie of a historic event I've yet to see. Movies of this sort will never lose their value. I have the Chinese edition, which plays well, although the colors seem faded, but much of the scenery was shot in the rain. Latch on to a copy of this one if you collect quality movies.

When Waterloo came out in 1971 it was a great overall movie that showed a view of Napoleon as everyone viewed him. Great costumes and sets with a cast of thousands. Rod Steiger was perfect for the part. The opening scene showing only the boots of his Generals ,echoing of the granite floors as they hurry to tell him he has been defeated for the first time, sticks out in my mind. They plead with him to surrender and he shouts no// so loud he echos off the walls. Camera work is great and the action is pure classic Hollywood even tho it was shot overseas by a foreign director. The movie was never released on video/DVD here . But copied overseas and put out . Quality is fine.Well worth seeing.

To Elba and back again in a very short and very bloody time the old general went.
That there are elements of "luck" in the outcome of the battle of Waterloo
seems to point out the chaotic in history.
What struck me after the fact was how little regard for human life was
part of the thought process: that individual soldiers could have been protected better seem obvious. Trying to keep soldiers alive led to
the later trench warfare of WWI.
Napoleon literally bleed France dry with his Russian war and all his conquests: all in the name of glory Empire in the Roman image.
I liked the movie and wish more such movies were made.

If you like the strategy behind battles of that period this movie is for you. I think it has the best battle scenes of any movie to date!! for war buffs this is a must!!!