Waterloo (1970)

I would order from this seller again

I have been looking for this rarely-seen film for a long time. Here, the price was very reasonable; it arrived in a good condition; it came very quickly. July 22, 2007

One of Steiger's most underappreciated roles in an epic film...

In the tradition of the cinematic epics like Kubrick's "Spartacus" and Mann's "Fall of the Roman Empire," Bondarchuk's "Waterloo" succeeds in depicting Napoleon's desperate and final bid for power and glory. Steiger, no stranger to roles that have consistently challenged his acting ability, is quite good as the deposed French emperor who narrowly lost his final battle. Orson Welles' appearance as Louis XVIII, is far too brief but most welcome, and Plummer as Lord Wellington is a casting director's dream. Dino de Laurentiis has produced some questionable if not laughable films in the past "King Kong" (1976) and "Flash Gordon" (1980); however, "Waterloo" must be seen as one of his better efforts.

Many critics here at Amazon will applaud the many and well-orchestrated battle scenes--a case-in-point are the great aerial shots of the British "squares" organized against Marshall Ney (Dan O' Herlihy) and the French cavalry--and one can easily understand the film's strong visual appeal, but this opus succeeds in other ways too.

The non-battle scenes, for instance, like the ball before the battle which introduces us to Napoleon's nemesis, Wellington, and the scenes of Napoleon dictating letters to his secretaries, are thoughtful touches that broaden the scope of this highly entertaining film and successfully depict an aristocratically genteel milieu shattered by the cataclysm that is nineteenth-century warfare. On the surface, an era characterized by the gentility of the landed gentry and sportsmanlike conduct on the battlefield, later destroyed by the real brutalities and devastation of war.

Unlike too many directors who take liberties with depicting historical events (Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" quickly come to mind), Bondarchuck successfully and accurately depicts Napoleon in his decline--plagued with self-doubt, his irascible outbursts towards subordinates compounded by his ill-health (now confirmed by modern bio-historians as a combination of dysuria, piles, dermatitis, and stomach cancer) and his symptoms of grandiose delusion .

This is a Region 2 PAL encoded disc, so you will require a multi-region DVD player to view it. This film originally ran at 3 hours on its initial theatrical release in 1970, now cut down to 2 hours and eight minutes. It is a pity that we do not have the film in its entirety with Region 1 encoding as the director originally intended. Although this item is listed here as currently "unavailable," try purchasing it thru the AmazonUK site. September 21, 2006

Where is the 3 hour DVD version?

Boy, I've been waiting for this movie in DVD for years. I mean, the producers aren't going to lose any money; I've got credit on my Mastercard at this very second! Like the Russian version of "War and Peace", the movie leaves me breathless, and a bit rattled. I won't repeat the story over again, you're likely snoring by now from all the previous reviews, but I'll say that I love this movie, and it would complete my collection of war epics once I've got my eager hands on the DVD version.

Much like many Eastern European movies, "Waterloo" seems disjointed in some parts, even surreal, and clearly, some of the battle scenes were borrowed from "War and Peace." I forgive you Sergei, just don't do it again. The part when Napoleon's Old Guard march shoulder to shoulder to anhiliation, is simply incredible. I could actually smell the cordite from the cannons, the fear and confusion in every French heart. I got chills from this scene. Rod Steiger looks like he's on drugs. Despite is super acting as Napoleon, he looks spaced out sometimes, or perhaps worried that the movie will flop. Yet, he pulled it off, he WAS Napoleon Bonaparte in all his menace, his mood swings, his pride, his appearance (though it's rumored that Steiger is nearly 6 feet tall, when NB was just shy of 5 feet). Must have NP's ego that made him seem larger than life. In conclusion: I urge all history buffs to demand the 3 hour DVD version, anything shorter would be a rip off, or go sulk in the dark like me.

One final note: I have a 47 inch Panasonic projection HDTV. The wide screen brings epic movies to real life. I hope the DVD version is not tarnished like some parts of "War and Peace." February 21, 2006

Booooooooooooooring

A Dino de Laurentis film superproduction with great aspirations and little or no quality other than documentary. A pity that, as it usually happens with massive and costly productions, the final product falls so short of expectations. Orson Wells, since the very first scene looks like a wig on a monkey, he should have done much better being behind the camera directing. The cast is not the problem, though. It's the script, the slow pace, the artificial atmosphere of grandeur a la francaise, the absence of feeling.

This does not qualify as a film. As a documentary, yes, and a badly done one too. I was going to watch the director's try on "War and Peace" but I have definitely given it up now.

If Stanley Kubrick couldn't get it done (it meaning Waterloo) and no classic director ever attempted it, how can we expect anything great from this Bondarchuk... King Vidor tried something epic with War and Peace and it never made it to one of his best (though a decent film). Hitchcock said once to Truffaut that he wouldn't try recreating a true literary classic because masterpieces can't be copied into other formats. Just like Don Quixote was created into a book it cannot (it has not so far) be copied into cinematographic language with the same results (Welles tried and couldn't finish). That is why Hitchcock preferred to pick little and more humble books to recreate.

Waterloo is not fiction but History. But a masterpiece no less. Inimitable.

February 11, 2006

"A Great Epic Battle Film"

This is one of the best classic war movies ever made!!! I was very happy to find this movie here on Amazon now on DVD format!!! A Must see!!! November 22, 2005

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