Waterloo (1970)

Film Overview
The 1970 film "Waterloo" is a legendary historic war movie directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It is a precise representation of the Battle of Waterloo which took place in 1815. The film showcases the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, who had actually impressed the French with his tactical radiance. Rod Steiger stars as Napoleon Bonaparte, while Christopher Plummer plays the role of the Duke of Wellington. The film was largely shot in Ukraine and involved thousands of Soviet infantryman in its huge fight sequences.

Plot
The film begins with abdication of Napoleon (Rod Steiger) as Emperor of France. Exiled to Elba, he escapes after 300 days regaining the French throne, requiring King Louis XVIII to flee. In response to this unanticipated return, the Seventh Coalition, made up of Britain, Prussia, the Netherlands, and others, kinds to combat versus Napoleon's forces.

The Duke of Wellington (Christopher Plummer) from Britain is designated to collect a global army to eliminate this hazard. The film represents both sides' strategic manoeuvres leading up to the battle, their respective leaders' styles and the decisive battle where 150,000 soldiers battled.

Decisive Battle of Waterloo
The main part of the film features the traditionally important Battle of Waterloo. The fight validates Wellington as a tactical genius, carefully monitoring the whole battlefield and adjusting his forces appropriately. On the other side, Napoleon despairs due to initial delays and rains that avoided him from attacking first.

Wellington's army holds up against the preliminary French assault, pushing back Napoleon's forces. As the dispute progresses, Napoleon introduces his elite Imperial Guard, however their attack fails, marking the very first such failure in the Guard's history and signalling the end for Napoleon's forces.

Aftermath and Conclusion
The movie concludes with the fight's monstrous after-effects and Napoleon's 2nd abdication, stating him a detainee and sending him into exile on the island of St. Helena. An iconic scene towards the end represents a disillusioned Wellington assessing the dreadful human cost of the battle, mentioning, "Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a fight won".

Visual Effects, Filming and Reception
The production included around 16,000 Soviet foot soldiers and 2,000 cavalrymen as bonus to create the extraordinarily sensible fight scenes, a few of the biggest ever shot. These scenes stay remarkable for their attention to historic details and shocking magnitude.

Upon its release, the film garnered blended reviews. Critics praised it for its historical accuracy and scale of production, but criticized it for its absence of character development and emotional depth. However, "Waterloo" stands as a landmark film on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Battle of Waterloo, an iconic fight in European history.

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