Strange Death Cries



I liked this film, and the central performances, but was anyone else annoyed by the strange high-pitched screams the men gave out (particularly the French) when they got shot while the camera was close to them. The cries seemed like they'd been dubbed in later, and could well have all been variations on the same guy's voice - as if they'd got one man to stand in a studio going "aaiieee!" "ooooH!" "Yaaghgh!" all day long during post-production.

I realise they didn't have a massive budget, and it wouldn't have been too bad or noticeable, except they seemed to use these sounds for every single person who got shot... surely one or two of them would have gone down silently, or with a gurgle or a moan. Not "AAAiiieee!" the whole time. It got irritating, because this is a film where we see a lot of people getting shot, often up to a dozen in one short sequence...

"Aiiieee!" "Awwwoooo!" "ooooWWW!" and so on, all the way down the line.

Still a great film, though. Rod Steiger was magnificent, and Wellington was quite hilarious, as well as frighteningly cold and ruthless until the job is done.
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An exception to your complaint was when General Picton was shot by a musket ball in the head. His hat is preserved to this day in a military museum. Surprising perhaps, as he was alledged to be the most foul-mouthed officer on Wellington's staff.

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I noticed the same thing as I was watching.
At first I thought maybe it was a variation of the infamous "Wilhelm Scream".
(do a google search for Wilhelm Scream if your not familiar with it)

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I noticed it too but I really don't know what to make of it. Interestingly 'War and Peace' from '68 had none of those cries in its battle scenes of Austerlitz and Borodino and it was pretty much from the same team who did 'Waterloo'.

I agree on your comment on Steiger and Plummer. They are truly excellent in their roles.

Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.

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