Waterloo (1970)

Apart from sharing the same name as a popular song written by the Swedish pop group ABBA, Waterloo is the ultimate example of David and Goliath, portraying the immense struggle between the master of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the infamous, though largely unknown up until that point, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. On 18th June 1815, the duo faced it off during the climactic battle of the Napoleonic Wars which would ultimately not only end the war, but finish Napoleon’s long and mainly brilliant career as France’s emperor and one of its greatest minds. No military commander, no matter how talented nor valiant, ever wants to acknowledge the possibility of defeat on the battlefield, and the masterful and exceeding Napoleon was no exception. Despite conquering Italy, invading Egypt, crushing Austria and bringing Russia to its knees, the Emperor still could not defeat the all powerful British Empire which loomed over his expansive domain. Time and time again, the crack and disciplined British red coats routed Napoleons army and the superior and harassing Royal Navy disrupted and interfered with Napoleons plans of European domination. Waterloo depicts some of Napoleons finest and darkest moments and really does show us that anyone can make mistakes, but if the choices we make have a large enough affect on our future, then they can bring us spiralling down and can come back to haunt us at a later and unwanted date. However, the choices Napoleon makes at Waterloo, no matter how big or small, will consequently lead to his ultimate downfall and lead to the silencing of his ravaging campaign across Europe. Although the real Napoleon was defeated by Wellington at Waterloo, if the outcome of the battle in the film would have been decided by Christopher Plummer’s (Wellington) and Rod Steiger’s (Napoleon) acting skills, then Mr Steiger would have easily stamped Plummer into dust. His performance blew me away. His moving portrayal of Napoleons ruthless temper and his inferior attitude towards his commanders really does show us what nineteen years of marching across the length and breadth of Europe can do to a man. Steiger also presents us with a unique insight into some of Napoleons weaknesses. One such case is when he overconfidently believes that Wellington has made a grave mistake by positioning his men on the ridge at Mont- Saint- Jean. He believes this as by doing so, Wellington is having his back to the woods so there is no possibility of escape. However, Wellington has no intentions on retreating and instead plans on holding the ridge until his Prussian ally, Von Blucher, arrives and brings reinforcements to his aid. Although the French nearly manage to break through the British ranks in several unsuccessful attacks including Marcel Ney’s mistaken cavalry charge, Wellingtons plan works and Blucher arrives in time to finish off what remains of Napoleons force. My favourite scene by far is the charge of the Scots Grey, which is truly a masterstroke of cinema. The director, Sergi Bondarchuk, purposely uses slow motion effects to enhance its brilliance and to make it the masterpiece which it is on screen. Unlike modern war films like Saving Private Ryan which gain their Oscars depending on the amount of blood and gore pouring from their cast, war films from the 60’s and 70’s mainly focus on the actual events and emotional and traumatic situations facing the characters. They also don’t force your stomach to turn over every time a soldier has their intestines ripped open. They instead enlighten you on what really does make an excellent war film and most importantly, they bring up a heavily debated question, what is the point to war? So, to conclude, the outstanding acting, the out of this world battle scenes and the thrilling historically accurate plot are what makes Waterloo a first class film. This is why I would strongly recommend you go and buy a copy of this film; this is why I believe Waterloo is such the magnificent piece of cinema art it is.