Waterloo

A powerful anti-war drama about power corrupting, and absolute power corrupting absolutely. One night on the eve of a decisive battle that made history, portrayed by Rudolf Hrušínský as Napoleon and several other top actors from his circle as his victims or adversaries. Radovan Lukavský portrayed the intriguer Fouché - his chief of secret police is truly a captivating character. It is an intimate play that is strong mainly due to its intense dialogues and well-drawn characters. Besides Hrušínský, the best performance came from Zdeněk Štěpánek as the faithful, uncritically thinking soldier who idealizes his master and sacrifices his life for him. Overall impression: 90%. Shot in very simple, almost theatrical sets. (16/06/2006)

"Every battle can be lost." - "Not every battle." - "Which one do you mean?" - "The one that doesn't take place." To make an hour and forty minutes long conversational film, from which one can hardly take one's eyes off the whole time, was an art that our good old masters did perfectly. Waterloo succeeded, Rudolf Hrušínský shone (again)... And it was a great pleasure to watch the amazing cast of excellent actors in supporting roles, who gradually came on the scene and added to the plot (the part with František Smolík is perfect). I also appreciated the script, which gradually introduces a viewer who is not familiar with the historical context to the most important things, nor does it offend viewers who are (too) familiar with it by simplifying some facts. However, I cannot forgive the last unnecessary sentence, obviously written for effect and to make a point, which turns Napoleon into a complete idiot who doesn't even know which village he is at preparing for battle. (17/11/2011)