Waterloo (1970)

Waterloo (Russian: Ватерлоо) is a 1970 English-language epic historical drama film about the Battle of Waterloo, the decisive battle of the Napoleonic Wars. A co-production between Italy and the Soviet Union, it was directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon Bonaparte and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington. Other stars include Jack Hawkins as General Sir Thomas Picton, Virginia McKenna as the Duchess of Richmond, Dan O'Herlihy as Marshal Ney, and Orson Welles as Louis XVIII of France. The film is centered not just on the Battle of Waterloo, but also on the days that led to the campaign known as the Hundred Days.

Steiger and Plummer often narrate sections in voice-over, presenting thoughts of Napoleon and Wellington. The film takes a largely neutral stance and portrays many individual leaders and soldiers on each side, rather than simply focusing on Wellington and Napoleon. It creates a generally accurate chronology of the events of the battle, the extreme heroism on each side, and the loss of life suffered by all the participating armies.

The film is most famous for its lavish battle scenes, shot on-location in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Its 17,000 authentically dressed extras, recreating battle scenes with true numbers and without special effects, remain the largest body of costumed extras in any film. Despite mixed critical reviews, it won several awards, including BAFTAs for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction, and the 1971 David di Donatello for Best Film.