Waterloo, the forgotten movie.

[techumseh]

I know this is a bit OT, but I hope of interest to SL members. Long ago, I saw this great war film, Waterloo. Since then, it seemingly disappeared - no DVD, and not on any streaming service I was familiar with. Now some enterprising fellow has posted a high quality copy of the entire movie on YouTube: "kH2BZgbbKjI"

As I suspect that most of my friends here are too young to remember it, I thought I would bring it to your attention. It stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as Wellington. Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, it also stars thousands of extras from the Soviet Army, including, at the time, the last remaining cavalry brigade in any army. The battle scenes are incredible, especially considering the movie was made before any sort of computer animation.

 

[Patine]

I know this is a bit OT, but I hope of interest to SL members. Long ago, I saw this great war film, Waterloo. Since then, it seemingly disappeared - no DVD, and not on any streaming service I was familiar with. Now some enterprising fellow has posted a high quality copy of the entire movie on YouTube: "kH2BZgbbKjI"

As I suspect that most of my friends here are too young to remember it, I thought I would bring it to your attention. It stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as Wellington. Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, it also stars thousands of extras from the Soviet Army, including, at the time, the last remaining cavalry brigade in any army. The battle scenes are incredible, especially considering the movie was made before any sort of computer animation.

Ah, Waterloo. One of the great all-or-nothing, make-or-break single battles of history. I'll have to give this one a look, especially if it's one of the seemingly many little-known roles of Christopher Plummer.

 

[CurtSibling]

I have it on DVD, it's a truly great flick. It represents the kind of movie-making that it now extinct, when it was an artform, and not an economics exercise.

My favourite line is when Christopher Plummer says (referring to his troops), "They are scum, madame!"

 

[Patine]

It represents the kind of movie-making that it now extinct, when it was an artform, and not an economics exercise.

Amen to that, Curt! I haven't been to a new movie in the theatres for almost a decade, due to complete lack of interest and enticement.

 

[typhoon353]

My favourite line is when Christopher Plummer says (referring to his troops), "They are scum, madame!"

This film was full of great lines.

"On, you drunken rascals, you whore's melts, you thieves, you blaggards-" (gets shot)

"I made one mistake in my life: I should have burned Berlin"

"By God sir, I've lost my leg.

By God sir, so you have."

And my own favourite:

 

[McMonkey]

One of my favourites. As it happens I watched it just the other day. No CGI, just thousands of extras. The aerial shots over the British squares as Ney's Cuirassiers swarm between them is just breathtaking.

Favourite part? Difficult. I love Orson Welles as XVIII reacting to Marshall Ney's 'Iron Cage' comment. The dance in Brussels when the news of Bonaparte's march to Charleroi is just beautiful and the 'Plunder' scene with the Inneskilin always makes me chuckle.

My favourite?
Field Artillery commander: 'Your Grace, Napoleon has ridden within range. May I have your permission to try a shot?'
Wellington: Disdainfully "Certainly not'
or
Wellington to bugler sounding the recall to the Scots Greys: Angrily "Stop that useless noise." Then with concern "You'll hurt yourself"

Plummer & Steiger are both superb, but I have to love Old 'Atty.

 

[techumseh]

"Boney's not a gentleman".