Zardoz (1974)
DVD9 | ISO | PAL 16:9 | Cover + DVD Scan | 01:45:13 | 5,58 Gb
Audio: English AC3 3.0 @ 384 Kbps | Subs: Croatian, Czech, Danish, English SDH, Finnish,
Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi
DVD9 | ISO | PAL 16:9 | Cover + DVD Scan | 01:45:13 | 5,58 Gb
Audio: English AC3 3.0 @ 384 Kbps | Subs: Croatian, Czech, Danish, English SDH, Finnish,
Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi
Director: John Boorman
In the distant future Earth is divided into two camps, the barely civilized group and the overly civilized one with mental powers. A plague is attacking the second group, after which its members cease to have any interest in life and become nearly catatonic. When Zed, one of the barbarians, crosses over, the tenuous balance in their world is threatened.
IMDB
My personal interest in John Boorman's Zardoz began twenty some years ago, when as a young teenager, I discovered the film on late night television. It started as a novelty: Sean Connery, a flying stone head, and lots of half-dressed women, what's not to like? Over the years, the novelty turned into an admiration for just what Boorman had created—aside from the elements that appeal to a teenage boy was a thoughtful and carefully executed work that became more interesting over time, and as I matured, my appreciation of the visual esthetic, precise dialogue, complex characters and the movie's uniqueness placed it among those I cherish the most.
With an extremely modest budget, Zardoz creates the world of 2293, a time after a great collapse in human history, in which the rich and powerful have discovered the secret of immortality, and cut themselves off from the rest of the world. The images in the film are strikingly beautiful at times, while horrific at others, and the choice of imaginative costuming belies the communal influence of the early 1970s. The pacing is deliberate, and Boorman's all inclusive look at the world of immortality leaves few stones unturned. The panacea of an eternal life is grounded as the film unfolds, and we begin to understand the implications of such an existence.
"Let's keep it!"
With these words life within the Vortex will never be the same. Zed (Sean Connery), an Exterminator from the outlands has penetrated the secret serenity of the world of Eternals, a group of immortal intellectuals living behind a force field separating them from the rest of humanity. His role in the outside world was one of hunter and killer, cutting down the human plague which ran rampant in the outlands. His God, Zardoz gave him this decree, and he obeyed, promised eternal life in the Vortex when his end came, but he has arrived prematurely, and now the its citizens have their own plans for him. Their head scientist, May (Sara Kestleman), wants to keep him for scientific study, since a mortal being hasn't been in their midst in 300 years.
Consuela (Charlotte Rampling), another leading figure in the community, fears his presence will disrupt their carefully balanced world and corrupt and pollute their society. Like many of the Vortex inhabitants who enjoy Zed's memories of the outside world, Friend (John Alderton) sees the brutal as a source of amusement, but he also wants to know why his friend Arthur Frayn (Niall Buggy), the man responsible for controlling the outlands as Zardoz, has mysteriously vanished. As the Eternals and brutal uncover the truths about each other, their own hidden agendas and motives begin to surface. What has happened to bring this creature from the outside into the world of the immortals, and what does it mean for their future?
When released in 1974 John Boorman's Zardoz caused quite a stir in the science fiction community, gaining heady praise from the hard sci-fi magazines and being lauded with accolades including consideration as a new science fiction classic. As his follow-up to his Academy Award®-nominated Deliverance (Best Picture, Best Director - 1973), Boorman wrote, produced and directed his only foray into the world of science fiction, with the original intent of casting Burt Reynolds (who played Lewis Medlock in Deliverance) in the lead spot. Instead, Sean Connery, fresh off his series of James Bond films, stepped in to play Zed, the barbarian who would enter the world of the Gods in search of answers. For crew, Boorman chose expert lensman Geoffrey Unsworth, veteran of A Night To Remember (1958) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), to capture the atmosphere created by set designer Anthony Pratt, who has worked alongside Boorman on Excalibur, Hope And Glory and Beyond Rangoon.
For those familiar with the director's work, Zardoz is a complete immersion into his thoughts and ideas, as Boorman utilises not only his favorite music and literature in the film, but also the talents of his entire family, including his wife Christel (costumes) and cameos by Boorman himself, and his children Katrine (who would play Igrayne in his later Excalibur) and Charley (Tomme in Boorman's The Emerald Forest). The film was also shot literally in Boorman's backyard in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland. Zardoz is certainly not a film for everyone, and its reaction from audiences is polarized. It relies more on ideas than action, and may require more than one viewing to fully appreciate. For those whom its uniqueness resonates, repeated viewings only increase its enjoyment, and for those of us who have known it for years, this disc comes as a real gem in the collection.
What price, immortality? With its stunning photography, imaginative sets and costuming, and thought provoking theme, John Boorman's Zardoz is a treasure for true science fiction fans. Though certainly not to everyone's taste, it can finally be judged on its true merit, in the correct aspect ratio and with a host of supplemental features. Fox has handled the film with style, and given those of us who appreciate it more than many could ever have dreamed possible. Zardoz has spoken.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by screenwriter, producer and director John Boorman
- 3 Still Galleries: Production Photos & Concept Art (9 Stills), Lobby Cards & Publicity Photos (10 Stills), One Sheets & Press Book (5 Stills)
- Fox DVD Trailer (3 mins)
- Theatrical Trailer (4 mins)
- 4 Radio Spots (6 mins)
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