Review of Waterloo (1970) by Private U — 19 Jul 2008
"Waterloo" sets the standard for all 'big battle' war movies (that is, those that are as much about panning across thousands of extras as they are about close-ups and fine acting). Steiger steals the show with his ranting portrayal of a Napoleon past his prime.
Plummer is perfect as Wellington, a fastidious and heroic commander. At some points it is obvious that this is not an American film - the cinematography is curious in some scenes and Red Army extras scream like schoolgirls when they fall (oh, and Waterloo is a relatively flat area - the battle wasn't fought on opposing treeless mountains).
These minor shortcomings are offset by the film's unparalleled scale. Watching hundreds of cavalrymen (and unfortunate untrained horses!) hurl themselves at squares of scarlet to the brilliantly chaotic score by legendary Nino Rota, the viewer walks away all but certain that he has in fact seen the actual Battle of Waterloo.
Vive l'Empereur!
This review of Waterloo (1970) was written by Private U on 19 Jul 2008.
Waterloo has generally received positive reviews.
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