Zardoz is a quirky science fiction film, and one of Sean Connery's first attempts to break out of the James Bond mold. This is a truly bizarre and out of the box feature, and today may seem dated, but is also unique. In a time in the future when an experiment gone wrong leaves the earth mostly destroyed except for the handful of immortals and the others who grow their food for them and are routinely exterminated to keep their numbers in check. Sean Connery plays Zed, one of the executioners commanded by the floating Head of Zardoz. Zed's curiosity gets the better of him and he finds his way to the immortals. They ask of him one thing. Finding immortality boring they actually are seeking death. With the music of Beethoven (2nd Movement 7th Symphony) as counterpoint to the story The conclusion of the film is not what you might expect. If you like far out fiction, this is the one for you.
247 Reviews
Not for everyone. This is not your everyday science fiction
ozthegreatat4233021 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Incredibly profound allegory disguised as a cheezy movie
rooprect26 February 2009
Any time a film begins with a giant, 5-story stone head saying, "The gun is good. The penis is evil," you know you're in for a wild ride.
Oh, I also forgot the horribly silly prologue spoken by some dude with a magic marker moustache and an equally contrived pseudo-Elizabethan accent which is really what makes most people throw in the towel after 5 minutes. But if you can get past all that, it gets a lot better.
Once the Beethoven music begins (7th Symphony, 2nd movement--one of the most powerful compositions ever. Check it out on YouTube), the film takes on a decidedly more serious and legitimate personality. Some IMDb reviewers have said this is SOLELY due to the Beethoven music, and I suspect they're right. But hey, all is fair in film-making.
Anyway, whether it's due to the music or whatnot, the film progresses from the initial cheeziness shock, and we start to uncover some complex & interesting themes. The plot itself becomes more challenging as we realize it's not as straightforward as we had assumed at first. Some nice twists & turns, some clever deception, and a good old fashioned whodunnit type mystery come to the surface. There are some really surrealistic scenes like at the insane asylum which border on Kubrickian genius if you're into that sort of thing (the 3rd part of 2001 A Space Odyssey).
Acting is very good. You even come to accept the goofy guy with the magic marker moustache after a little while, because you realize he's just a jokester... sort of like the Shakespearian "fool".
And stay tuned because the payoff is the meaning of the word "Zardoz" which makes a powerful metaphor if you're paying attention. Overall, this is a nifty flick which--if you're into cool 70s dystopian scifis (Rollerball, Logan's Run)--you'll really enjoy. I'm tempted to rate it higher than a 7/10, but I just can't get over that gun/penis line LOL.
Oh, I also forgot the horribly silly prologue spoken by some dude with a magic marker moustache and an equally contrived pseudo-Elizabethan accent which is really what makes most people throw in the towel after 5 minutes. But if you can get past all that, it gets a lot better.
Once the Beethoven music begins (7th Symphony, 2nd movement--one of the most powerful compositions ever. Check it out on YouTube), the film takes on a decidedly more serious and legitimate personality. Some IMDb reviewers have said this is SOLELY due to the Beethoven music, and I suspect they're right. But hey, all is fair in film-making.
Anyway, whether it's due to the music or whatnot, the film progresses from the initial cheeziness shock, and we start to uncover some complex & interesting themes. The plot itself becomes more challenging as we realize it's not as straightforward as we had assumed at first. Some nice twists & turns, some clever deception, and a good old fashioned whodunnit type mystery come to the surface. There are some really surrealistic scenes like at the insane asylum which border on Kubrickian genius if you're into that sort of thing (the 3rd part of 2001 A Space Odyssey).
Acting is very good. You even come to accept the goofy guy with the magic marker moustache after a little while, because you realize he's just a jokester... sort of like the Shakespearian "fool".
And stay tuned because the payoff is the meaning of the word "Zardoz" which makes a powerful metaphor if you're paying attention. Overall, this is a nifty flick which--if you're into cool 70s dystopian scifis (Rollerball, Logan's Run)--you'll really enjoy. I'm tempted to rate it higher than a 7/10, but I just can't get over that gun/penis line LOL.
Unquestionably the strangest movie ever made.
gridoon18 January 2003
"Zardoz" is either a brilliant visionary masterpiece, or the biggest blunder Sean Connery ever appeared in. I still haven't decided which (must watch it again first!). It has beautiful visuals and a surprisingly multi-layered script (the revelation of the title's meaning is a stunning moment), yet it also has parts so embarrassing (the "scientific examination of the male erection" scene comes to mind) that make you wonder how the participants managed to keep a straight face through them (the filming of this movie must have been great fun!). Ultimately, it's a film that defies ratings, but I'll try my best......*** out of 4.
Nothing like it ever made!
Infofreak12 January 2002
I've seen some weird movies in my time! 'The Holy Mountain', 'Human Highway', 'Men behind The Sun', 'Nude For Satan', 'Pink Flamingos', 'Dune', but NOTHING as weird as 'Zardoz'! Nothing!
'Zardoz' has the feel of a Alan Smithee movie. It's like you're watching a movie made by committee or recut behind the director's back. But you see that it is written, produced and directed by John Boorman, the man who made the still dazzling revenge thriller 'Point Blank', and the first rate hillbilly suspense classic 'Deliverance', and you realize that this movie is EXACTLY what Boorman intended it to be. And your mind boggles!
'Zardoz' is neither a mindless sci fi action movie not a serious SF-as-ideas film ala Tarkovsky or Kubrick. It's... well, I don't know WHAT it is! A trippy Dystopian fantasy that cribs a few ideas from other sources (Huxley's Savage, Wells' Eloi and Morlocks, Moorcock's Jherek Carnelian), adds plenty of philosophical gobbledygook, some semi-naked babes, an embarrassed looking pony-tailed Sean Connery, and by the look of it, mixes in a bucket full of psychotropics, and hey presto! you end up with a movie like no other before or since!
'Zardoz' MUST be seen! By you. Right now. Unforgettable.
'Zardoz' has the feel of a Alan Smithee movie. It's like you're watching a movie made by committee or recut behind the director's back. But you see that it is written, produced and directed by John Boorman, the man who made the still dazzling revenge thriller 'Point Blank', and the first rate hillbilly suspense classic 'Deliverance', and you realize that this movie is EXACTLY what Boorman intended it to be. And your mind boggles!
'Zardoz' is neither a mindless sci fi action movie not a serious SF-as-ideas film ala Tarkovsky or Kubrick. It's... well, I don't know WHAT it is! A trippy Dystopian fantasy that cribs a few ideas from other sources (Huxley's Savage, Wells' Eloi and Morlocks, Moorcock's Jherek Carnelian), adds plenty of philosophical gobbledygook, some semi-naked babes, an embarrassed looking pony-tailed Sean Connery, and by the look of it, mixes in a bucket full of psychotropics, and hey presto! you end up with a movie like no other before or since!
'Zardoz' MUST be seen! By you. Right now. Unforgettable.
There's nothing else quite like this.
Hey_Sweden28 April 2015
Filmmaker John Boormans' follow-up to "Deliverance" is admittedly not to all tastes. Boorman, who also produced and wrote the film, gives us a one of a kind experience that, ultimately, is better seen than described. Words like "weird" and "provocative" come to mind when viewing it, because it's full of ideas.
It depicts a world of the future (the year 2293, to be exact) where a sly master intelligence, Zardoz, has contrived a way to keep unruly lower classes in line. One of the lower class people is an "exterminator", Zed (Sean Connery), whose job is to kill, period. One day Zed decides to seek truth, and hitches a ride in a great stone head, where he's transported to a "vortex", or environment, where the bored upper class, a group of immortal intellectuals, don't know what to make of him. He shakes up their world as much as they shake up his.
The most striking element of "Zardoz" is the visual approach. Filmed on location in Ireland, it takes us from one surreal set piece to another, with deliberately stylized dialogue. The cast plays the material with very straight faces. Connery looks fairly embarrassed, and considering the fact that his costume partly consists of a red diaper, one can hardly blame him. (He wasn't too happy about having to wear a wedding dress, either.) Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman, John Alderton, Sally Anne Newton, and Niall Buggy co-star; of this group of actors, Buggy does manage to inject some humour into the proceedings.
This is sedately paced and short on action, but it's compelling in its own offbeat way, provided one is able to stick with the story. While it's not likely to be very appealing to a mainstream audience, it's not something easily forgotten for devotees of cult cinema.
Seven out of 10.
It depicts a world of the future (the year 2293, to be exact) where a sly master intelligence, Zardoz, has contrived a way to keep unruly lower classes in line. One of the lower class people is an "exterminator", Zed (Sean Connery), whose job is to kill, period. One day Zed decides to seek truth, and hitches a ride in a great stone head, where he's transported to a "vortex", or environment, where the bored upper class, a group of immortal intellectuals, don't know what to make of him. He shakes up their world as much as they shake up his.
The most striking element of "Zardoz" is the visual approach. Filmed on location in Ireland, it takes us from one surreal set piece to another, with deliberately stylized dialogue. The cast plays the material with very straight faces. Connery looks fairly embarrassed, and considering the fact that his costume partly consists of a red diaper, one can hardly blame him. (He wasn't too happy about having to wear a wedding dress, either.) Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman, John Alderton, Sally Anne Newton, and Niall Buggy co-star; of this group of actors, Buggy does manage to inject some humour into the proceedings.
This is sedately paced and short on action, but it's compelling in its own offbeat way, provided one is able to stick with the story. While it's not likely to be very appealing to a mainstream audience, it's not something easily forgotten for devotees of cult cinema.
Seven out of 10.
"You have penetrated me. There is no escape."
utgard143 November 2016
John Boorman's stylish sci-fi silliness about a bizarre future where a flying head named Zardoz is worshipped as a god, and people are divided into two factions, immortals and mortals. Sean Connery stars as Zed, a ponytailed mortal "exterminator" who runs around in a skimpy red outfit that has to be seen to be believed. He kills the man behind Zardoz (the wiZARD of OZ - that's cute) and finds himself transported to the place where the immortals hang out.
Lots of trippy ideas and visuals, which is the main selling point of this movie for many. But it's hard to take any of it seriously and the whole thing is dripping with pretentiousness. Connery does fine attempting to take his absurd role seriously but the best part of the cast is Charlotte Rampling, who actually made me forget I was watching nonsense for a bit. It's worth watching at least once, for the interesting imagery and the unintended laughs. There aren't any other movies quite like it and seeing Sean Connery in that outfit is enough to give anyone a case of the giggles.
Lots of trippy ideas and visuals, which is the main selling point of this movie for many. But it's hard to take any of it seriously and the whole thing is dripping with pretentiousness. Connery does fine attempting to take his absurd role seriously but the best part of the cast is Charlotte Rampling, who actually made me forget I was watching nonsense for a bit. It's worth watching at least once, for the interesting imagery and the unintended laughs. There aren't any other movies quite like it and seeing Sean Connery in that outfit is enough to give anyone a case of the giggles.
A Savage Sean Connery in a Bizarre Far Future
Witchfinder-General-66625 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Director John Boorman is best known for the violent cult-classic "Deliverance" (1972) and his glorious version of the Arthurian legend, "Excalibur" of 1980. His bizarre and highly original Sci-Fi/Fantasy "Zardoz" of 1973 is yet another worthy entry to Boorman's repertoire, and while the film is far from flawless, it does deserve the certain cult-status it enjoys. His role in of Zed in "Zardoz" was the second for the great Sean Connery after his last engagement as (the only true) James Bond (a role which he should reprise in 1983 in "Never Say Never Again").
The film begins in the post-apocalyptic wastelands of 2292. The tribe of the "chosen ones", masked men with guns, is ordered by their bizarre deity, a huge flying head named "Zardoz" to massacre the "brutals", the common people. When Zed (Connery), a 'chosen one', climbs the flying head, which spits out guns for the followers of Zardoz, it turns out to be a machine, which leads him to the Vortex, a paradisaical place inhabited by bored immortals. The arrogant (human) immortals, who feel superior to the rest of humanity, keep the "brutals" out of their Vortex by using the "chosen ones" as their weapon... Sounds bizarre, and it is, in a great manner. Connery is great as always, and I could hardly imagine anyone else to play the role. It is also always a pleasure to see the very hot young Charlotte Rampling. Rampling is a great actress and stunning beauty, and she fits perfectly in her role of the Consuella, the most hostile of the immortals. Visually, the film is very interesting, and very much a product of its time. Both the uniform of the Chosen ones, which consists of masks, red speedos and long boots, and the psychedelic hippie-fashion of the immortals epitomize a future made in the 70s. The settings are great and the film's wonderfully bizarre tone makes it a must-see for lovers of cult-cinema. Yet the film has some flaws, the main of which is that it seems a bit too confused occasionally and sometimes becomes a bit boring in-between. However, the films many great qualities easily make up for its flaws. The performances are great, especially those of Connery, Rampling, Sara Kestelman and John Alderton. All in all, "Zardoz" is a highly interesting film, and the ending is simply brilliant. Highly recommended!
The film begins in the post-apocalyptic wastelands of 2292. The tribe of the "chosen ones", masked men with guns, is ordered by their bizarre deity, a huge flying head named "Zardoz" to massacre the "brutals", the common people. When Zed (Connery), a 'chosen one', climbs the flying head, which spits out guns for the followers of Zardoz, it turns out to be a machine, which leads him to the Vortex, a paradisaical place inhabited by bored immortals. The arrogant (human) immortals, who feel superior to the rest of humanity, keep the "brutals" out of their Vortex by using the "chosen ones" as their weapon... Sounds bizarre, and it is, in a great manner. Connery is great as always, and I could hardly imagine anyone else to play the role. It is also always a pleasure to see the very hot young Charlotte Rampling. Rampling is a great actress and stunning beauty, and she fits perfectly in her role of the Consuella, the most hostile of the immortals. Visually, the film is very interesting, and very much a product of its time. Both the uniform of the Chosen ones, which consists of masks, red speedos and long boots, and the psychedelic hippie-fashion of the immortals epitomize a future made in the 70s. The settings are great and the film's wonderfully bizarre tone makes it a must-see for lovers of cult-cinema. Yet the film has some flaws, the main of which is that it seems a bit too confused occasionally and sometimes becomes a bit boring in-between. However, the films many great qualities easily make up for its flaws. The performances are great, especially those of Connery, Rampling, Sara Kestelman and John Alderton. All in all, "Zardoz" is a highly interesting film, and the ending is simply brilliant. Highly recommended!
Too Bizarre For Its Own Good.
AaronCapenBanner7 September 2013
Sean Connery stars in director John Boorman's strange(to say the least) Sci-Fi satire as Zed, a warrior in a future Earth divided into two groups; Zed's, a violent world of marauding raiders struggling for survival, and costar Charlotte Rampling's, an intellectual world of thinkers inside a dome who have grown bored, and look at the outsiders as subhuman savages to be studied. They kidnap Zed to study him, but Rampling's character becomes attracted to his handsome vitality, and escorts him around their world, which has become a very weird place indeed...
Oh yes, a giant flying head appears periodically to the outsiders to give them weapons, which eventually leads to a war.
Bizarre satire is undeniably original and ambitious, but at some point, it becomes obvious that someone connected with it isn't taking this at all seriously, since it rambles close to self-parody(the eventual fates of the intellectuals comes to mind.) A noble failure, best viewed rather than described(Worth seeing at least once, not that I can honestly recommend it of course!)
Oh yes, a giant flying head appears periodically to the outsiders to give them weapons, which eventually leads to a war.
Bizarre satire is undeniably original and ambitious, but at some point, it becomes obvious that someone connected with it isn't taking this at all seriously, since it rambles close to self-parody(the eventual fates of the intellectuals comes to mind.) A noble failure, best viewed rather than described(Worth seeing at least once, not that I can honestly recommend it of course!)
Everything but the kitchen sink!
Jonathan-May26 September 2004
This movie is truly awful, but at the same time it's got to be one of the BEST SCI-FI MOVIES I'VE EVER SEEN!
There are so many concepts to digest: Civilization's end, immortality, genetic manipulation, artificial intelligence, time control, psychic power, space travel, and on and on and on. If you're the least bit interested in science-fiction, there's more for you in this one movie than you'll find in a year's worth of Star Trek conventions!
Then why do I say it's awful? Well, within this movie's running time are some of the most cheesy moments ever captured on celluloid!
From the opening shots of the hairy-backed, leather-thonged, gun-toting Sean Connery (who at least manages to wear more than most of the rest of the cast), to the catch-cry of the Giant Hovering Stone Head ("The gun is good! The penis is bad!"), as it spews out a torrent of weapons and ammo from its mouth. What about the Eternal's predilection for studying erectile tissue function, by flashing up images of naked mud-wrestling? Or that crazy "wobbling-hands" thing that they do when in some sort of telepathic communion? Completely laughable!
Despite these moments of "cheesy-ness", Zardoz tells an utterly engaging and compelling story. The moment of revelation of the meaning of "Zardoz" took me completely by surprise, even though all the clues had been under my nose right from the beginning! (The Magritte painting "La chateau des Pyrenees", hanging in Frank's house, reminiscent of the hovering stone head, for example.)
If you like hard-core science fiction, and can put up with a few minor flaws, then I think you'll really enjoy Zardoz! It's weird, it's brilliant, it's unique! (Just make sure you watch it while you're wide awake, though, or you may drift off from time to time!)
9 out of 10!
jon :-)
There are so many concepts to digest: Civilization's end, immortality, genetic manipulation, artificial intelligence, time control, psychic power, space travel, and on and on and on. If you're the least bit interested in science-fiction, there's more for you in this one movie than you'll find in a year's worth of Star Trek conventions!
Then why do I say it's awful? Well, within this movie's running time are some of the most cheesy moments ever captured on celluloid!
From the opening shots of the hairy-backed, leather-thonged, gun-toting Sean Connery (who at least manages to wear more than most of the rest of the cast), to the catch-cry of the Giant Hovering Stone Head ("The gun is good! The penis is bad!"), as it spews out a torrent of weapons and ammo from its mouth. What about the Eternal's predilection for studying erectile tissue function, by flashing up images of naked mud-wrestling? Or that crazy "wobbling-hands" thing that they do when in some sort of telepathic communion? Completely laughable!
Despite these moments of "cheesy-ness", Zardoz tells an utterly engaging and compelling story. The moment of revelation of the meaning of "Zardoz" took me completely by surprise, even though all the clues had been under my nose right from the beginning! (The Magritte painting "La chateau des Pyrenees", hanging in Frank's house, reminiscent of the hovering stone head, for example.)
If you like hard-core science fiction, and can put up with a few minor flaws, then I think you'll really enjoy Zardoz! It's weird, it's brilliant, it's unique! (Just make sure you watch it while you're wide awake, though, or you may drift off from time to time!)
9 out of 10!
jon :-)
A Cult Sci-Fi Movie From the 70's
claudio_carvalho17 August 2003
In 2223, Zed (Sean Connery) is a kind of priest of a new religion: he terminates with the brutals. This 'new religion' of admirers of Zardoz controls the society simply killing the so-called 'brutals'. The confused plot is presented in flashbacks, so any comment may be a spoiler. Therefore, it is better off not make additional comments. Watching Zardoz in 2003 sounds strange. This low budget B-movie was made 1974, when the world has the 'Peace and Love' generation, the remake of 'Lost Horizon' one year before, 'Logan's Run' two years later and 'Hair' some five years later. In 2003, Zardoz is aged, but twenty-nine years ago it was a cult movie in close touch with the pop culture of that moment. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Zardoz"
Note: On 15 February 2021, I saw this film again.
Title (Brazil): "Zardoz"
Note: On 15 February 2021, I saw this film again.
Wizard
Prismark1016 July 2016
Director John Boorman made a trippy, hippy film that is preposterously 1970s. It is some kind of pseudo intellectual futuristic allegory about society and religion.
This really is an cultish, obscure film. Everyone knows about the silly costumes in the film but it is so rarely shown, very few people have actually seen it.
Zardoz stars Sean Connery wearing some kind of mankini, at least he had the physique for it. He is a pony tailed barbarian who kills and slaughters in order to keep the population under control. They obey a giant stone head who regularly appears to collect the harvest from the slave population and spews out guns so the barbarians can launch a killing spree.
Connery gets inside the head and into a vortex where he finds a race of Immortals who cannot die but they can age as punishment into senility unless they are born again. It looks like death would be welcomed by this people. There is a joker in the pack who pushes Connery to read and realises that Zardoz is pointing him to a yellow brick road.
The Emerald isle stands for this futuristic Emerald city, having a real man about causes some eroticism amongst the women inside the vortex but the film is so loosely structured with some bizarre 1970s fashion, oh my John Alderton and his golden locks, please sir, just put it away.
The film is rather impenetrable, bizarre and yet wondrous. Despite some not very good effects and not being such a good film it is an important part of British/Irish sci fi.
This really is an cultish, obscure film. Everyone knows about the silly costumes in the film but it is so rarely shown, very few people have actually seen it.
Zardoz stars Sean Connery wearing some kind of mankini, at least he had the physique for it. He is a pony tailed barbarian who kills and slaughters in order to keep the population under control. They obey a giant stone head who regularly appears to collect the harvest from the slave population and spews out guns so the barbarians can launch a killing spree.
Connery gets inside the head and into a vortex where he finds a race of Immortals who cannot die but they can age as punishment into senility unless they are born again. It looks like death would be welcomed by this people. There is a joker in the pack who pushes Connery to read and realises that Zardoz is pointing him to a yellow brick road.
The Emerald isle stands for this futuristic Emerald city, having a real man about causes some eroticism amongst the women inside the vortex but the film is so loosely structured with some bizarre 1970s fashion, oh my John Alderton and his golden locks, please sir, just put it away.
The film is rather impenetrable, bizarre and yet wondrous. Despite some not very good effects and not being such a good film it is an important part of British/Irish sci fi.
Oh yeah...
DaJ10 July 2005
Without question, the most brilliant bad movie EVER made: Red man-panties, gun-vomiting hot air balloon stone heads, flying books on fishing line, neat-o dance numbers (or at least ballroom catharsis), magic marker facial hair, elitist-hippie government, inexplicable backward-masking (check out Friend in the kitchen), the ugliest bride in the history of cinema, cool jewelry, the Internet before the Internet was the Internet (or even computerized), Big Brother, HAL, and David Niven merged into one, lots of flowy sheer curtains, EXCELLENT decorating ideas, nifty forms of mass transit, a profound sense of anatomy, and, perhaps most chillingly, an apocalyptic warning that, if we do not change our ways, we face a future COMPLETELY DEVOID OF UNDERGARMENTS.
Genius. Simply genius.
Genius. Simply genius.
Could be the weirdest film ever made. Not really enjoyable, but certainly interesting.
barnabyrudge18 November 2004
Warning: Spoilers
There are conventional films, then there are unusual films and, from time to time, there are downright weird films. Zardoz is several stages beyond downright weird. It is a one-of-a-kind science fiction vision which will alienate many viewers because of its sheer bizarreness. In terms of plot, characters and visuals, it is completely unlike anything made before or since. And, on top of all that, it has a few mainstream stars to boot (Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling being the main ones). I can't think of a weirder film than this with such familiar faces in it.
In the future, planet Earth has suffered from years of crime and pollution. Society has split into two groups. In the outlandslive theBrutals, savage and simple people who live in near-medieval conditions and are policed by a group of remorseless, organised killers called the Exterminators. Protected from this savage society within an impenetrable vortex is another group - the Eternals, intellectual people who have learned to live peacefully in an idyllic paradise and have developed knowledge of how to become immortal. One Exterminator, Zed (Sean Connery), penetrates the Vortex by hiding aboard a flying stone head called Zardoz (a God-like invention of the Eternals, who use it to trick the Brutals into doing as they say). Zed's arrival in the world of the Eternals revives long dormant emotions of sexuality and aggression, and brings about the downfall of society in the Vortex.
Zardoz is heavy-going and somewhat confusing, but the more times you watch it the more sense can be made of it. Visually it is wonderful and thematically it is always interesting, though the pretentiousness does get irritating from time to time. What I like about it is that it isn't just a story of good .vs. evil, with lots of laser gun shootouts. Director Boorman is trying very hard here to imagine a plausible future society, and to show the dangers of social division and the even greater dangers of achieving immortality. It's very much a thinking man's sci-fi film, and even then it requires patience and repeat-viewings to unravel the complexities. Zardoz is not enjoyable - it's far too challenging and heavy-going for that - but it is interesting, and it definitely provokes thought and discussion. Best described as a very noble failure.
In the future, planet Earth has suffered from years of crime and pollution. Society has split into two groups. In the outlandslive theBrutals, savage and simple people who live in near-medieval conditions and are policed by a group of remorseless, organised killers called the Exterminators. Protected from this savage society within an impenetrable vortex is another group - the Eternals, intellectual people who have learned to live peacefully in an idyllic paradise and have developed knowledge of how to become immortal. One Exterminator, Zed (Sean Connery), penetrates the Vortex by hiding aboard a flying stone head called Zardoz (a God-like invention of the Eternals, who use it to trick the Brutals into doing as they say). Zed's arrival in the world of the Eternals revives long dormant emotions of sexuality and aggression, and brings about the downfall of society in the Vortex.
Zardoz is heavy-going and somewhat confusing, but the more times you watch it the more sense can be made of it. Visually it is wonderful and thematically it is always interesting, though the pretentiousness does get irritating from time to time. What I like about it is that it isn't just a story of good .vs. evil, with lots of laser gun shootouts. Director Boorman is trying very hard here to imagine a plausible future society, and to show the dangers of social division and the even greater dangers of achieving immortality. It's very much a thinking man's sci-fi film, and even then it requires patience and repeat-viewings to unravel the complexities. Zardoz is not enjoyable - it's far too challenging and heavy-going for that - but it is interesting, and it definitely provokes thought and discussion. Best described as a very noble failure.
Yes, please, it's Sean Connery!
paulclaassen6 August 2023
If you're a Sean Connery fan, you have to see 'Zardoz' - not for the film; for him!! This meaty hunk of a man with his lean body and hairy chest is wearing nothing more than what looks like a nappy for almost the entire movie! Allow me to wipe the drool from my mouth...
'Zardoz' is about...uhm, well... its about Sean Connery in his underwear!!! No, seriously, this is a fantasy adventure set in 2293 where the world is divided between God-like immortals and farmers - or Brutals- who produce food for these immortals. The immortals live in luxury in a Vortex, but they've become bored.
Sean Connery stars as Zed, a brutal who finds his way into a giant stone head (supposedly a god to the brutals), and is taken into the Vortex - where no mortal has ever been. Arriving in the Vortex, Consuella (Charlotte Rampling) wants Zed destroyed. However, through voting from the other immortals, it is decided he should be kept alive for study purposes. (I would have liked to study him, too - in detail!!).
Originally believed to be an inferior "beast", the immortals discover Zed is in fact far superior to them, and that he holds the power to destroy them, if he wanted to.
'Zardoz' has a confusing plot. It is all very satirical, off course. It's a mix of modern and medieval. Much of the Vortex might as well have been a depiction of hell. The film is also a mockery of religion, so Christians might view it as blasphemy. There's no denying, this is a very weird film. The final moments, especially, are weird - to say the least!
You have to love some of the silly dialogue, for instance "Guns are good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seed and make new life...". There's also the scene where the immortals can't understand how a penis can go from flaccid to erect (what, so these immortal men can't?!!), so they show Zed sensual images, waiting for him to have an erection. (I would, too...). This scene has everyone - men included - looking at his crotch.
There are many funny moments and also unintentional funny moments. Ultimately, this is one fantasy adventure that's going to confuse the hell out of you, and which definitely is not going to satisfy everyone's palate. I can't really recommend this - unless you want to stare at a manly physique in the form of Sean Connery...
'Zardoz' is about...uhm, well... its about Sean Connery in his underwear!!! No, seriously, this is a fantasy adventure set in 2293 where the world is divided between God-like immortals and farmers - or Brutals- who produce food for these immortals. The immortals live in luxury in a Vortex, but they've become bored.
Sean Connery stars as Zed, a brutal who finds his way into a giant stone head (supposedly a god to the brutals), and is taken into the Vortex - where no mortal has ever been. Arriving in the Vortex, Consuella (Charlotte Rampling) wants Zed destroyed. However, through voting from the other immortals, it is decided he should be kept alive for study purposes. (I would have liked to study him, too - in detail!!).
Originally believed to be an inferior "beast", the immortals discover Zed is in fact far superior to them, and that he holds the power to destroy them, if he wanted to.
'Zardoz' has a confusing plot. It is all very satirical, off course. It's a mix of modern and medieval. Much of the Vortex might as well have been a depiction of hell. The film is also a mockery of religion, so Christians might view it as blasphemy. There's no denying, this is a very weird film. The final moments, especially, are weird - to say the least!
You have to love some of the silly dialogue, for instance "Guns are good. The penis is evil. The penis shoots seed and make new life...". There's also the scene where the immortals can't understand how a penis can go from flaccid to erect (what, so these immortal men can't?!!), so they show Zed sensual images, waiting for him to have an erection. (I would, too...). This scene has everyone - men included - looking at his crotch.
There are many funny moments and also unintentional funny moments. Ultimately, this is one fantasy adventure that's going to confuse the hell out of you, and which definitely is not going to satisfy everyone's palate. I can't really recommend this - unless you want to stare at a manly physique in the form of Sean Connery...
Brilliant
craigdubya2 September 2003
There seem to be a lot of people who didn't like this film. I loved it. It is a film for people who aren't perturbed by a lack of surface glitz in science fiction, and can take on the underlying meanings about immortality or the fear of death that other films rarely raise. Some of it doesn't make sense, but only if you are not paying attention. In my view, it gets straight to the point without any polish, which some people are uncomfortable about in any artform. It is not made for Star Trek fans. It is a bleak and powerful story about a cabal of ineffectual immortals who play God to an inferior but more vigourous race, and who long for death yet cannot die. They stealthily invite one of these inferiors (Connery) into their midst to solve their problems. The final scenes are extremely striking, and are set to the 2nd movement of Beethoven's 7th symphony. **You just don't hear this symphony enough in the movies***. I recommend this film to anyone who likes science fiction with a small sf.
Bizarredoz
neil-47625 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a baby boomer. I'm also a science fiction fan and a movie fan. But, until the coming of Star Wars, there were precious few science fiction movies to satisfy us post-war babies.
So I greeted Zardoz with enthusiasm. And it was great! Murderous thugs - the Brutals (catchy name, I wonder how they came to choose it) - swanning around a grim and gritty post-apocalypse landscape,gunning down innocents, while a giant flying head spews out firearms and ammunition to fuel the status quo.
Then one of the Brutals - Sean Connery - shows he had some brains, stows away on the giant flying head, and discovers a secret hidden valley where there was a group of people who didn't live in mud. Plus they were clever and immortal and hippie-ish and didn't do killing.
Well, OK. Not so much fun as riding around shooting people in mud, but I'll give it a chance.
The trouble is it then gets a bit talky and existentialist or metaphysical or something and, to be frank, a tad difficult to follow. Anyway, it all ends up for the best - the Brutals break in and kill all the clean, hippie-type people, and Sean Connery swans off with Charlotte Rampling and starts a family. And then they die. Or something.
Oh, and Sean Connery wears the least macho costume ever worn by a macho protagonist in a mainstream movie.
Sheer genius. I could never have thought of it.
So I greeted Zardoz with enthusiasm. And it was great! Murderous thugs - the Brutals (catchy name, I wonder how they came to choose it) - swanning around a grim and gritty post-apocalypse landscape,gunning down innocents, while a giant flying head spews out firearms and ammunition to fuel the status quo.
Then one of the Brutals - Sean Connery - shows he had some brains, stows away on the giant flying head, and discovers a secret hidden valley where there was a group of people who didn't live in mud. Plus they were clever and immortal and hippie-ish and didn't do killing.
Well, OK. Not so much fun as riding around shooting people in mud, but I'll give it a chance.
The trouble is it then gets a bit talky and existentialist or metaphysical or something and, to be frank, a tad difficult to follow. Anyway, it all ends up for the best - the Brutals break in and kill all the clean, hippie-type people, and Sean Connery swans off with Charlotte Rampling and starts a family. And then they die. Or something.
Oh, and Sean Connery wears the least macho costume ever worn by a macho protagonist in a mainstream movie.
Sheer genius. I could never have thought of it.
Fantastically awful
gimpyfreak27 November 2006
This is a soft-core, sci-fi porn starring futuristic, psychic, suicidal Egyptians, in which the women are sexually repressed, pre-Princess Leia types, and all the men are gay (except for Sean Connery, who is quite masculine, despite wearing only red briefs and a braided ponytail for the entire film). This film was so awful, that I felt compelled to register in as a new user on IMDb, just to write this quick review. In fact, it was so terrible, that I recommend watching it. Much like the compulsion to slow down and look at a car accident, this film's ridiculousness pulls you in from the opening scene of a "witty" floating head spewing gobbledy gook. And yes, in the first few minutes, there is a line you will not soon forget. Make sure to watch this with your drinking buddies.
Allegory both brilliant and juvenile, brutal and imortal.
sr-shah26 November 2022
What a crazy film! It seems to be at once both high art and utterly juvenile. Based on the promo shot of Connery in his exterminator uniform, perhaps low expectations were easily triumphed. This image makes a poor advertisement for a film that has a lot more going for it. The artistic ambition and execution of the production design and cenematigraphy were as solid as they were surprising. It feels a bit more like 1968 than 1974, however, so it probably should not be described as, "Ahead of its time." Some of the theatrical staging is quite ambitious, and the cast seem to draw upon dance as much as theater. Sadly, some of the cringe can be a bit difficult to overcome. Looking past the editing indulgences the film was surprisingly impressive.
"I see nothing inside except for my own perplexity..."
moonspinner5517 June 2006
Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling star in this cold, meandering, often howlingly silly science-fiction melodrama which has futuristic savage Sean led into a world of decadent youths who mean to exploit and kill him. Convoluted premise is cluttered up with pseudo-intellectual dialogue, uninteresting characters and set-pieces, and one embarrassed-looking male lead. John Boorman, who wrote and directed (perhaps on acid), doesn't look as though he gained the trust or confidence of his cast; they stumble about with question marks on their faces. Pretentious in all respects, the film looks bad and has no soul, and the secret behind the title astounds one with its obviousness. The worst funny line (among many) occurs when a male voice, transmitting from a crystal, says to Connery, "You have penetrated me!" An ordeal which completely alienates the audience. *1/2 from ****
Red Diapers + Green Baguettes = Lots of FUN!
miszel26 July 2005
This movie just about defines what a Great Bad Movie is supposed to be.
It starts off with Sean Connery dressed only in red diapers and bandoleers sneaking into a giant levitating stone head, passes through a fruity utopian post-nuclear society, and then heads into post-modern literary references.
The film looks like it was cooked up at an LSD fuelled party in the 70's that I wish I had been at. I wonder if Boorman came up with Excalibur at the same party. Visually there is a similar thread in both films. One is just a whole lot more coherent than the other. At first viewing Zardoz makes no sense at all, but is so wonderfully weird, so out there that you stare at it in disbelief. How did they get James Bond to run around Northern England in his undies? Why is the bread green? What's with the magic marker mustache? These are the types of questions that come to mind and keep you wading through the mess on the screen. The questions keep your mind occupied while your eyes feast on state of the art 70's futuristic concepts. It's as brilliantly fascinating as a 10 car freeway pile-up and you can watch it with considerably less guilt.
Everything is so beautifully, perfectly confusing in this film that it was with a heavy heart that I had to admit after the 4th viewing that it DOES MAKE SENSE. I will not spoil the fun for anyone else but the whole thing really does come together. I can only say that you should enjoy the cacophony while it lasts because once you get the film's storyline it's not half as fun. Though there are still some great lines of dialogue left: "I'm voting for him, Monster" being my favourite.
In any case viewing the film from a 21st century perspective reminds me that back in the 70's some very original, idea based SF movies could be made with a fittingly large budget. Some of these films have become classics which is more than I can say for the big-budget, no-brainer crap that mostly comes out of Hollywood nowadays.
I wholeheartedly recommend Zardoz for those who can admit to cinephilic guilty pleasures!
It starts off with Sean Connery dressed only in red diapers and bandoleers sneaking into a giant levitating stone head, passes through a fruity utopian post-nuclear society, and then heads into post-modern literary references.
The film looks like it was cooked up at an LSD fuelled party in the 70's that I wish I had been at. I wonder if Boorman came up with Excalibur at the same party. Visually there is a similar thread in both films. One is just a whole lot more coherent than the other. At first viewing Zardoz makes no sense at all, but is so wonderfully weird, so out there that you stare at it in disbelief. How did they get James Bond to run around Northern England in his undies? Why is the bread green? What's with the magic marker mustache? These are the types of questions that come to mind and keep you wading through the mess on the screen. The questions keep your mind occupied while your eyes feast on state of the art 70's futuristic concepts. It's as brilliantly fascinating as a 10 car freeway pile-up and you can watch it with considerably less guilt.
Everything is so beautifully, perfectly confusing in this film that it was with a heavy heart that I had to admit after the 4th viewing that it DOES MAKE SENSE. I will not spoil the fun for anyone else but the whole thing really does come together. I can only say that you should enjoy the cacophony while it lasts because once you get the film's storyline it's not half as fun. Though there are still some great lines of dialogue left: "I'm voting for him, Monster" being my favourite.
In any case viewing the film from a 21st century perspective reminds me that back in the 70's some very original, idea based SF movies could be made with a fittingly large budget. Some of these films have become classics which is more than I can say for the big-budget, no-brainer crap that mostly comes out of Hollywood nowadays.
I wholeheartedly recommend Zardoz for those who can admit to cinephilic guilty pleasures!
"The Gun is good! The Penis is evil!"
Bored_Dragon5 April 2020
This one definitely goes to "WTF I Just Watched ?!" list. Low-budget independent SF with Sean Connery in the lead role, whose fee of $200.000 makes one-fifth of the total movie budget. Given the very low ratings on the movie sites, I probably would never have looked it up, but when I saw Sean's outfit, the film immediately jumped to my priority watch-list. The movie definitely lived up to my expectations, and Sean's red panties are not by far the silliest thing to see. The whole aesthetic of the film screams the seventies and is reminiscent of the odd blend of "Flash Gordon" and "A Clockwork Orange." But all the cheapness of the production, as well as the over-the-top moments and acting are not a flaw here, but are at the service of the surreal atmosphere and messages that the film conveys. And there are quite a few, and if you don't allow yourself to be distracted by cheesy colorfulness, the movie will give you some interesting topics to contemplate. The symbolism of this film and the philosophy behind it could be discussed broadly, but I think it is better if you experience this unusual and, I believe, unforgettable experience yourself.
7,5/10
7,5/10
John Boorman's big ego floating in the sky
Maciste_Brother6 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen ZARDOZ about a billion times. I'm not kidding. Every time it's on TV, I watch it. I'm endlessly fascinated by it because it's a type of film that was made in the 1970s which isn't being made anymore today: so-called bold far-out ideas told in a very atmospheric manner with lots of flash and pretension, with almost complete disregard of the audience. I really miss those kinds of films. Films like SOYLENT GREEN, DEMON SEED, PHASE IV, etc.
With that being said I have to admit that ZARDOZ is basically an unfiltered end result of John Boorman's massive ego than about actual bold ideas. It's one thing to have what seem to be far-out ideas and work with them in a bold way but it's another thing altogether to basically turn everything into a masturbatory celebration of one's ego. There's no point in giving examples, everything IS on screen. But the most telling part is the last shot with Connery and Rampling, wearing what looks like Irish green costumes and both looking like Robin and Marian, aging rapidly while their natural offspring grows up between them. After going through the entire film only to end up with a trite ending that basically promotes an Adam & Eve ideal, well that last scene basically kills the entire movie and one suddenly realizes that Boorman is not interested in far-out mind-bending ideas but in the same old, same old.
Basically, the entire film is just Boorman taking everything to task, smashing all of it against his own trite personal philosophy in a tired effort to dismiss everything that's not in concordance with his views. Pseudo-Hippies, women, non-violent men, technology, etc, all end up being obliterated so that Adam & Eve can reign supreme again. There's nothing forward thinking about Adam & Eve.
I love mind-bending sci-fi or fantasy films filled with ideas that make you think. ZARDOZ is not one of them. It's a blunt egotistical attack (spiced with humor) on anything that's not the status quo masquerading as fantasy/science-fiction.
If it's on TV, I'll still watch it. Like Boorman's EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, ZARDOZ is a kind of big pretentious over-the-top messy film that's not being made anymore.
With that being said I have to admit that ZARDOZ is basically an unfiltered end result of John Boorman's massive ego than about actual bold ideas. It's one thing to have what seem to be far-out ideas and work with them in a bold way but it's another thing altogether to basically turn everything into a masturbatory celebration of one's ego. There's no point in giving examples, everything IS on screen. But the most telling part is the last shot with Connery and Rampling, wearing what looks like Irish green costumes and both looking like Robin and Marian, aging rapidly while their natural offspring grows up between them. After going through the entire film only to end up with a trite ending that basically promotes an Adam & Eve ideal, well that last scene basically kills the entire movie and one suddenly realizes that Boorman is not interested in far-out mind-bending ideas but in the same old, same old.
Basically, the entire film is just Boorman taking everything to task, smashing all of it against his own trite personal philosophy in a tired effort to dismiss everything that's not in concordance with his views. Pseudo-Hippies, women, non-violent men, technology, etc, all end up being obliterated so that Adam & Eve can reign supreme again. There's nothing forward thinking about Adam & Eve.
I love mind-bending sci-fi or fantasy films filled with ideas that make you think. ZARDOZ is not one of them. It's a blunt egotistical attack (spiced with humor) on anything that's not the status quo masquerading as fantasy/science-fiction.
If it's on TV, I'll still watch it. Like Boorman's EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, ZARDOZ is a kind of big pretentious over-the-top messy film that's not being made anymore.
I kind of liked it
sal_p25 August 2004
This movie came out when I graduated from high school and I first viewed it with the awe and admiration of a young man seeking intriguing concepts of what the future might be like. Zardoz did not disappoint me. The question of what would happen to mankind if all our physical needs were met and we were thereby allowed to expand intellectually is fascinating. We are constantly striving to make life easier, better and to live longer. Do we really need a struggle to exist or is it merely a leftover animalistic aspect of our evolution? Personally I like living in a climate controlled surrounding versus a cave where I have to kill something with my bare hands in order to eat. For what it's worth, I saw it again as a middle aged adult and I am still impressed with some of the concepts of the movie. My 13 year old daughter was not so much impressed. I'd still give it a good review and wouldn't mind owning it for my personal collection. I guess it takes a sci-fi geek to not be so bored with it and, of course, a bare breast thrown in gets my attention just as it did back in 1974.
The Sex Play Sizzles -- The Philosophy Phizzles!
Dan1863Sickles12 December 2004
I had heard for years what an awful movie this was, so when I saw it at BORDERS the other day for just $7.99, I thought I'd give it a try just for fun. I was really surprised -- this is one of the most beautifully photographed, sexy and intriguing science fiction films ever!
The big ideas of the film are not very interesting -- immortality is a curse, nature cannot be denied, and so on. Playing Dracula, Bela Lugosi said everything this film says about immortality in two lines, without even drawing attention to himself. "To die -- to be really dead -- that must be glorious. There are far worse things awaiting man, than death." Lugosi said it best, this movie simply repeats. And repeats.
What does break new ground is the sensual way the movie explores gender roles and power. In this decadent, passionless immortal world, women have far more power than men. The sumptuous sets and revealing costumes all create a languorous mood of luxury, where women rule and men are perpetually powerless puppets. When shaggy, strong, self-confident Sean Connery enters the realm of cool, calm, steely Charlotte Rampling, the stage is set for the most exciting clash of wills since -- well, since Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, if you could picture them actually wearing sexy clothes and going at it full on with grunts and animal style, and with luxury and elegance and full color photography!
The way that the brutal Zed and the prim Consuela clash and spar and finally come together should make this picture a great romance, sort of like THE African QUEEN meets 2001. Unfortunately, the endless babble of aging immortals and philosophical junk soon overcomes the movie's real strength. Instead of riding off into the sunset on horseback, as they should have, Zed and Consuela are hurriedly buried in a really lame time lapse sequence that lamely repeats yet again (for the umpteenth time) the message that mortality is a blessing. Sure it is. But this was a great love story that should have been.
The big ideas of the film are not very interesting -- immortality is a curse, nature cannot be denied, and so on. Playing Dracula, Bela Lugosi said everything this film says about immortality in two lines, without even drawing attention to himself. "To die -- to be really dead -- that must be glorious. There are far worse things awaiting man, than death." Lugosi said it best, this movie simply repeats. And repeats.
What does break new ground is the sensual way the movie explores gender roles and power. In this decadent, passionless immortal world, women have far more power than men. The sumptuous sets and revealing costumes all create a languorous mood of luxury, where women rule and men are perpetually powerless puppets. When shaggy, strong, self-confident Sean Connery enters the realm of cool, calm, steely Charlotte Rampling, the stage is set for the most exciting clash of wills since -- well, since Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, if you could picture them actually wearing sexy clothes and going at it full on with grunts and animal style, and with luxury and elegance and full color photography!
The way that the brutal Zed and the prim Consuela clash and spar and finally come together should make this picture a great romance, sort of like THE African QUEEN meets 2001. Unfortunately, the endless babble of aging immortals and philosophical junk soon overcomes the movie's real strength. Instead of riding off into the sunset on horseback, as they should have, Zed and Consuela are hurriedly buried in a really lame time lapse sequence that lamely repeats yet again (for the umpteenth time) the message that mortality is a blessing. Sure it is. But this was a great love story that should have been.
The Gun is Good
ryanswartz-221 June 2006
The penis is evil.
And thus begins one of the strangest A-list Hollywood films to come out of the 1970's, John Boorman's "Zardoz." Sandwiched career-wise between the captivating "Deliverance" and the travesty of "The Exorcist II," "Zardoz" is pretty much what you'd expect from a guy on the way down -- a movie with big ambitions and little success it meeting them.
Typically, this is the part of the review wherein a user will give a brief plot synopsis, but I have to be honest with you, having seen the film several times, I still can't really tell you what's going on. I know this much -- it's the future, and mankind is now ruled by a big stone head that floats around and vomits guns on the people. The people then take these guns and... shoot each other, I guess. I'm not sure. It's probably a noble idea, and I'm sure it's supposed to say something about man's violent nature, but the sight of Sean Connery's tangerine speedo and a big stone head puking out machine guns is just too bizarre and amusing for the point to get across.
That's not to say you won't enjoy the film. Pulling four of your film geek buddies together for a case of Icehouse and an evening of watching, deconstructing, and mocking "Zardoz" can be a fine way to spend a Saturday evening. Indeed, this is one of those films you'll want to pick up from the $5.99 bin at Best Buy, only so you can show it to your closest friends -- "Dude, you HAVE to see this incredibly f'ed up movie."
And thus begins one of the strangest A-list Hollywood films to come out of the 1970's, John Boorman's "Zardoz." Sandwiched career-wise between the captivating "Deliverance" and the travesty of "The Exorcist II," "Zardoz" is pretty much what you'd expect from a guy on the way down -- a movie with big ambitions and little success it meeting them.
Typically, this is the part of the review wherein a user will give a brief plot synopsis, but I have to be honest with you, having seen the film several times, I still can't really tell you what's going on. I know this much -- it's the future, and mankind is now ruled by a big stone head that floats around and vomits guns on the people. The people then take these guns and... shoot each other, I guess. I'm not sure. It's probably a noble idea, and I'm sure it's supposed to say something about man's violent nature, but the sight of Sean Connery's tangerine speedo and a big stone head puking out machine guns is just too bizarre and amusing for the point to get across.
That's not to say you won't enjoy the film. Pulling four of your film geek buddies together for a case of Icehouse and an evening of watching, deconstructing, and mocking "Zardoz" can be a fine way to spend a Saturday evening. Indeed, this is one of those films you'll want to pick up from the $5.99 bin at Best Buy, only so you can show it to your closest friends -- "Dude, you HAVE to see this incredibly f'ed up movie."
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