Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Panoramic and massive in scale - UNMISSABLE., June 9, 2002
Waterloo, directed by Sergei Bondarchuk is a spectacular depiction of the Battle of Waterloo and the immediate events leading up to it. Rod Steiger plays Napoleon and gives an intense performance and a vivid insight into the personality of this dictator. Wellington is played by Christopher Plumber who likewise, gives of his best in portraying this brilliant commander. The movie weaves an intriguing story, playing off Wellington's arrogance towards his rank and file against his skill in strategy and tactics. The other main actors, Orson Wells, Jack Hawkins and Dan O'Herlihy all give fantastic performances. The movie has been criticised for its glorification of war. With very little blood seen in the movie despite a plethora of death and destruction, it's a correct observation, but I don't think you will be watching this movie if you are at all concerned with the rights and wrongs of war. This movie deals with a period of warfare, which was colorful and fought with massive armies. This has captured the imagination of military and historical buffs despite it's relatively short period. The movie Waterloo has suceeded admirably in conveying this granduer. Let me say at this point, that this movie is huge in scale and panorama. The battle scenes of which there are many, are pure eye candy. No CGI here folks. This is massive, classic movie making in its prime, and we won't see films made like this again. Battlefields are littered with casts of thousands. The costumes (uniforms) are excellent and one wonders at how long it took to sew these all together. I understand many of the cast were supplied by the Polish army. Watching the movie, you are left in no doubt that the majority of rank and file cast are real soldiers. To co-ordinate that many extras without military training would have been near impossible. The cavalry charges are simply stunning and you can't help wondering how many horses were injured in the making of this movie, let alone actors. The aerial view of the massed French cavalry charge against the British squares, towards the conclusion of the battle, truly lets you understand the scale of this production. This is an utterly unmissable scene in the history of war movies. There are many other scenes from the movie which truly capture the imagination. For example, Napoleons reunion with his devoted troops after his exile, is tense and dramatic, while set in an insignificant part of the French countryside. Adding to the quality of the movie, most of the lines spoken are actual quotes from the historical figures themselves. I am fortunate to own the DVD version of the movie, and while it doesn't have many special features I would recommend the DVD version version over VHS if you can find a copy, as this movie is one you will want in your collection for a very long time. I loved this movie from beginning to end. It won't be to everyones taste, but is an essential purchase for military and history buffs, and especially those who like movies made in the "good old way". Outstanding.
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Waterloo, the Best Period War Movie Ever!, August 16, 2002
When this movie was released in the late 1960s it contained a lot more footage. I have heard rumors that a 3 hr version exists somewhere. This would make more sense as the scenes with the Prussians appear disjointed, and even the Quarte Bras scene seems out of context. The movie had to be reduced in length for cinema release, but the result has provided only an inperfect picture of the Waterloo drama and all its complexities. A DVD release would hopefully correct some of this problem by allowing more footage, perhaps cleaning up the film itself, and add some much needed background information and production notes. It would be interesting to see where the film was shot, what army was used for extras, and also what Rod Steiger and Chrisopher Plummer thought of their roles in the film. All of this would add greatly to what is already an epic work.Not-withstanding these short-comings, what we have is still an impressive work. Few period movies have gone to such lengths to provide accuracy. The uniforms are all correct, although the British are shown as the main elements in Wellington's army. It would have been nice to see a bit more blue and green coats in the shots of Wellington's troops on the ridge as this would have shown the significant Dutch-Belgian contingents that made up his army as well. The casting of Plummer and Stieger also was good. Stieger supposedly said that this was one of his favorite roles. Some have critisized his performance of Napolean in the movie, but Stieger seems content to have portrayed a Napolean unsure of himself and in earnest. This is not an unreasonable portrayal to make, and if the viewer can divorce the actor from the historical personage some sense can be made here. This was Napolean's last campaign, and no doubt he felt some uncertainty when he embarked upon it, as the odds were heavily against him. Christopher's Plummer's Wellington is supurb. Here critics can find little that is wrong. He has the iron Duke's personality down perfectly. The acid wit and cool detached demeanor concealing a real concern for the state of his army and the position it is in to face the great Napolean. Plummer uses Wellington quotes from all over the place, many from while the Duke was in Spain, and not from Waterloo, but it still works anyway. Viwers who are not familer with the history may find it difficult to follow the movie, especially since the editing makes it even more confusing at times. Without some historical background the movie may just come across as a series of massive, confused battle scenes, which does injustice to the epic events which it is attempting to portray. I would recommend reading anybooks on the waterloo campaign first before seeing this movie in order to get the most out of it. For sheer scope and size, few movies can compare, and the viewer is in for a feast of the eye with this one. For a period war movie this is the best, for all its faults. Waterloo cries out for a DVD or VHS directors cut edition. Let's hope it happens some day.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Military Classic, August 15, 2001
Waterloo is probably the best "battle" film ever made, depicting the famous clash of Napoleon versus Wellington in June 1815. Although there are quirks and omissions in this film, overall it does a magnificent job of encapsulating the pathos of Napoleon's Hundred Days. Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as Wellington are both very convincing in their roles, and the director's use of "inner thought" to hear what these two are thinking at key moments is very interesting. The film covers the Hundred Days, from Napoleon's return from Elba to his defeat at Waterloo, with some attention given to the events preceding the final battle. Unfortunately, the Battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny just prior to Waterloo are given scant attention, and the Prussian role is minimized. The presence of Dutch, Belgian, Brunswick and King's German Legion troops in Wellington's force, as well as the role of the Prince of Orange, are ignored. Although Ney and Picton are major characters, the primary focus is on Napoleon and Wellington. In the battle itself, the opening attack on Hougomont (led by Napoleon's brother Jerome, who is not shown in the film) and Napoleon's basic tactics are covered fairly well. However, D'Erlon's main attack and the impromptu British cavalry attack is muddled and confused. The desperate defense of the La Haye Saint farmhouse is only briefly shown, which further muddies the depiction of the battle. On the other hand, the director spares no effort in depicting the massed French cavalry attacks and the British infantry squares that defied them. The final assault by the Imperial Guard and the arrival of the French flows rather quickly, without depicting the desperate actions by the Young Guard to hold off Blucher. There are very few films that cover an entire battle because it is actually a very difficult task. Waterloo does not cover every key event or participant, but it does convey the flavor of this famous battle. Viewers should appreciate the effort and forgive the omissions.
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