MovieChat Forums > Waterloo (1970) Discussion > SUPERB MOVIE

SUPERB MOVIE

posted 20 years ago by cheval52
13 replies | jump to latest

They just don't make them like this anymore! The movie is superb and the casting par excellance! The teaming of Rod Steiger/Christopher Plummer is on a par with Ali/Frasier, Louis/Schmelling, Laurel/Hardy.

I just pray to God that Hollywood doesn't attempt a remake like they did with Jason & the Argonauts or the retelling of King Arthur, etc.

If this trajedy were to occur, Hollywood would have Josephine conquering all of Europe, Napoleon reduced to a blubbering cowering shadow, Wellington as a dim witted idiot, and Andrew Jackson as the Racist/Monster who instigated the whole conflict.

Patrick D of Seattle

[–] mlevans 20 years ago

Very true ... and a third of the film would be spent showing the unfortunate widow whose pig the solider heisted and how that made her feel! lol (And wasn't that a great scene with the pig???)

You're right; hopefully no one will remake this masterpiece. I just wish I could find the director's cut somewhere -- if it still exists. I understand he was not at all happy with the 132-minute hacking of it. Even in this form, though, it's fantastic

[–] cheval52 20 years ago

mlevans;

143 minutes were hacked out? I never knew that, I think I am going to
be ill. The Napoleonic Wars were always my most favorite period of history,
hence my screen name "cheval52". It's based on a French Dragoon. LOL

Patrick of Seattle

[–] mlevans 20 years ago

I don't remember what the original length was ... but it seems like it was over four hours. I'll have to look that up. This is probably why some of the subordinate officers are hard to keep 100% straight...a lot of character-building scenes were probably cut out.

I've heard conflicting stories on whether a full-length version is still in existence. If not, maybe they'll find a "lost" version some day, like the missing 23 minutes of Nosferatu! :o)

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[–] mlevans 20 years ago

On second thought, they would have a ficticious subordinate of Napolean and a ficticious subordinate of Wellington both in love with a ficticious female who is torn between the two men and takes up half the screen time.

And the battle scenes would be all CGR ... sort of like the History Channel's battle re-creations!

[–] cheval52 20 years ago

mlevans;

To take it one step further they might even throw in that Napoleon has
a secret love desire for Wellington.....

Patrick of Seattle

[–] Kingum2341 20 years ago

And battle it out!

[–] scthurman-1 20 years ago

How can you compare Steiger and Plummer to Laurel and Hardy?

[–] yann_chambrier 20 years ago

If Hollywood remade this movie, I wouldn't be surprised to find that cou-cou douche Gibson playing as Plummer muttering some nonsense such as freedom and liberty while freedom kissing Sophie Marceau.

[–] teacher_tom516 19 years ago

Actually you have a modern remake (sort of) - Clavier's NAPOLEON. The Waterloo scenes were absolute bunk (though Clavier did surprisingly well I think). I'm an absolute fan of the movie, got the novelization by Frederick Smith (of 633 Squadron fame) and Ugo Pericoli's UNIFORMS OF WATERLOO with all the uniforms from the period, many of which made it into the film. I hope that they recut the 4 hour version (and clean it up a bit) rather than doing some hokey post-modernist remake.

Tom516

[–] keeleboy 19 years ago

Napoleon would've been born in new York and would win the battle against all odds surely? Meanwhile Wellington would've hanged a few innocent cockney British soldiers for saving the life of an injured Frenchman and the Duchess of Richmond's ball would've been a disco with go-go dancers