Zardoz (1973)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1973
Running Times: 105m
Length:
Format: 35mm/Panavision (anamorphic)
Colour Format: colour
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: stereo

DIRECTION

Directed by: John Boorman (A film by John Boorman)

CREW

SCRIPT
Written by: John Boorman
Story Associate: Bill Stair

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Simon Relph
2nd Assistant Director: Redmond Morris
Continuity: Jean Skinner

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographed by: Geoffrey Unsworth
Camera Operator: Peter MacDonald
Assistant Cameraman: John Campbell
Electrical Supervisor: Jack Conroy
Grip: Paddy Keogh
Processed by: Rank Film Laboratories
Color Prints by: DeLuxe

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: John Merritt
Assistant Editor: Alan Jones

MUSIC
Music by: David Munrow

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"Symphony No 7"
By Ludwig Van Beethoven
Played by Concertgeboom Orchestra, Amsterdam
Conducted by: Eugen Jocham

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Liam Saurin
Sound Editor: Jim Atkinson
Dubbing Mixer: Doug Turner
Re-recorded by: De Lane Lea, London

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes by: Christel Kruse Boorman
Made at: La Tabard Boutique, Dublin
Wardrobe Master: Jack Gallagher
Make-up: Basil Newall
Hair Stylist: Colin Jamison

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Gerry Johnson

VISUAL EFFECTS
Process Projection Effects: Charles Staffell
Special Projection Material: Robin Hughes

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Anthony Pratt
Design: Bill Stair
Assistant Designer: Reginald Bream
Assistant Art Director: Martin Atkinson
Set Decorator: John Hoesli
Construction Manager: Peter McGoldrick

OTHER CREW
Horse Master: Austin Gaskin
Inflatables by: Air Structures Design, London

LOCATIONS
Locations: The Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
Studio: Filmed at Ardmore Studios, Ireland

CASTING
Casting: Miriam Brickman

CAST

Sean Connery (Zed)
Charlotte Rampling [Consuella]
Sara Kestelman [May]

and
John Alderton [Friend]

with
Sally Anne Newton (Avalow)
Niall Buggy (Arthur Frayn/Zardoz)
Bosco Hogan (George Saden)
Jessica Swift (Apathetic)
Bairbre Dowling (Star)
Christopher Casson (old scientist)
Reginald Jarman (Death)

PLOT SUMMARY

The distant future: while the savage Brutals rule the wastelands, worshipping the flying stone head Zardoz, the Eternals, a ruling elite, live in a pastoral enclave. But their idyll is ruined by a plague that is decimating their numbers, leaving the Eternals lethargic and virtually catatonic. One of the Brutals, the Exterminator Zed, infiltrates the Eternal enclave and, in an abandoned library, discovers the truth behind Zardoz and threatens to disrupt the balance of power...

CAPSULE REVIEW

Over-long and painfully pretentious, not even the presence of Sean Connery can save this muddled mess. Some of the visuals are striking enough, but the story is weak and it fails to match the grandeur of Boorman's ambitions. A disaster.

AVAILABILITY

UK
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Fox Rank Distributors
Video Distributor: Key; CBS/Fox
Laserdisc Distributor: CBS/Fox

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

Sweden
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1974
September
16: Sweden - theatrical release

October
25: Finland - theatrical release

Beyond 1984, Beyond 2001, Beyond Love, Beyond Death

I have seen the future and it doesn't work

Into a world of eternal life, he brought the gift of death

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Tas tanri Zardoz - Turkish title

LINKS

SEE ALSO
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Dark City (1998)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Wizard of Oz, The (1939)

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Hollywood Reporter 13 June 1973 p.10 (USA)
credits, review

Variety 29 November 1972 (USA)
note

Variety 30 January 1974
review

NEWSPAPERS

L.A. Times 11 January 1974 IV:1
review

BOOKS

The A-Z of Science Fiction and Fantasy Films p.301
credits, review

Creature Features Strikes Again p.452
credits, review

Cult Flicks and Trash Pics p.303
credits, review

Elliot's Guide to Films of Video p.896
credits, short review, UK video data

Hoffman's Guide to Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Movies p.404
credits, short review

Science Fiction and Fantasy Handbook p.146
credits, review

Video Source Book (13th edition) Volume 2 p.2942
US video dates

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

the future, immortality, deities, religion

Last Updated: 5 January, 2010