Waterloo

Genau so sollten Monumentalfilme sein: Groß! Tolle Schauspieler*innen, ein Regisseur, der sich richtig ins Zeug legt, zwanzig­tausend Statisten aus der Roten Armee, der ausgezeichnete Soundtrack von Rona… Und dann natürlich DIE Schlacht. Die Schlacht, die uns Bondartschuk vor allem als ein Duell von zwei Strategen zeigt, ist perfekt. Aufnahmen wie der Angriff der schottischen Kavallerie in Zeitlupe, der "Siegesmarsch" der französischen Alten Garde oder das (glaubhaft aufgebaute) Schlachtfeld mit perfekten Formationen, das aus einem Hubschrauber gedreht wurde, sind einfach herrlich. Steiger als Napoleon ist super (man merkt es schon während der ersten zehn Minuten), Plummers Wellington ist aber ein ebenbürtiger Gegner. Wenn man diesen Film im Kino sieht, muss es ein unglaubliches Erlebnis sein. (06.04.2011)

Sergei Bondarchuk did not disappoint and populated the Belgian battlefield, only to subsequently depopulate it accordingly. The clash of three great military leaders of their time ended with a crushing defeat for one of them, and due to the tactics used at that time, the human losses were enormous (although, with gradually improving methods, these numbers are not decreasing). People simply never learn. The film's creators offered a nearly perfect interpretation of historical events in broad strokes (the details were not as perfect, but that is understandable - there wasn't enough time, and Waterloo had so much material it could have been turned into a series). The soundtrack was fantastic, and the performances were outstanding. As for the military leaders (not the ones in the film), Marshal von Blücher (aided by August von Gneisenau) won me over, as he strongly contributed to the alliance's success at the age of seventy-three, even while believing that he was pregnant and would give birth to an elephant. / Lesson learned: Do not praise the day before sunset. (15.04.2023)

In terms of large-scale magnificence and emphasis on detail, Bondarchuk is unrivalled. And that is a mistake, in a way, because Waterloo is basically approached and served up identically to Part III of War and Peace with the battle of Borodino. With a director of Bondarchuk’s capacity, I would expect something different from what he had already served up once before. And he proved during War and Peace that he can do it differently, too: each battle is a completely different kettle of fish. But make no mistake, my nitpicking sighs are silenced by the incredible camerawork and the entire second half with the battle itself. The “strategic" overview is absolute genius. I am surprised that nobody repeated this shot until Stone in Alexander. The only real problem is Rod Steiger who doesn’t do a very good job of Napoleon. He acts too hard and theatrically In the abdication, pre-credits scene and is often more of a caricature on Boney than the best person to act him. Even though he certainly has his strong moments. Apart from that, I don’t understand at all how the Bonaparte + Bondarchuk’s attempt at absolute historical correctness down to the last blade of grass + English language “equation" fits together. Exactly opposite to Steiger, we find Welles (despite spending almost no time on screen) and Christopher Plummer who couldn’t have been better from the very start. (25.02.2010)

The money of the Italian producer and Bondarchuk's ability to handle monumental scenes happily combined and led to the creation of a magnificent reconstruction of one of the most famous battles in history. It is quite possibly the pinnacle of its genre because nowadays, such a war epic with a cast of thousands can only be made in China, which is a completely different culture. Personally, I have a slight problem with this filmmaking style. It is too grand, the individual gets lost in it, and the camera's eye fondly rests on marching formations, waving flags, colorful uniforms, and famous commanders. Only the Soviet uniforms full of metals are missing. In a way, it really reminds me of Soviet society and its contempt for the individual. The camera work is excellent and the film has a strong cast, and personally, I have no problem with Rod Steiger's performance, who portrayed Napoleon as a somewhat mentally unstable and exhausted man past his prime. Overall impression: 80%. (25.09.2016)