Director: Sergei Bondarchuk

Entertainment grade: C–

History grade: A–

With his catastrophic attempt to invade Russia in 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte began to fall from glory. In 1814, he was forced into exile on the Mediterranean isle of Elba. He escaped, and returned to France in triumph. But his second reign, known as the Hundred Days, was nipped in the bud by defeat at Waterloo.

Casting

Waterloo Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Napoleon (Rod Steiger) must abdicate. Cue a massive tantrum from the little lad. "I will not, I will not, I will not, not, not!" he bellows, though two minutes later he has calmed down and done it. Steiger is inescapably dreadful in the role, serving up high camp in place of charisma. He does at least look like Napoleon, though much more like Ricky Gervais. Director Sergei Bondarchuk goes in for long scenes of nothing happening, so there's plenty of time to imagine your way through a prequel in which David Brent conquers Europe, but ultimately overreaches himself and has to eat Gareth on the road back from Moscow. Napoleon is replaced on the throne by King Louis XVIII, played by Orson Welles. Welles looks like Jabba the Hutt, but so did Louis XVIII, so that's fine.

Power

WATERLOO [IT / USSR / BR 1970]..ORSN WELLES as Louis XVIII [seated] Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Napoleon escapes from exile on Elba and is on his way back to Paris. The king does a bunk. "Perhaps the people will let me go as they let him come," wheezes Welles, clambering into a gilded carriage. It creaks alarmingly, almost tips over and, with considerable strain on the part of the horses, wobbles off, axles groaning. Meanwhile, in the south, Napoleon strides out alone in front of the bayonets of the 5th regiment, crying: "If you want to kill your emperor, here I am!" They defect to him immediately. Save for a certain dramatic flourish and the amalgamation of a couple of different events, this is accurate.

Society

SUSAN WOOD, IAN OGILVY Photograph: The Ronald Grant Archive

Soon afterwards, the Duchess of Richmond's ball in Brussels is interrupted by news that Napoleon is on his way. Fighting would begin the next day at Quatre Bras. Some of the officers at the party had no time to change, and were obliged to go to war in evening dress. The film does a superb job of recreating that night, down to the Duchess's daughter finding herself "quite provoked" by handsome ADC Lord Hay dashing off to his death (which he is supposed to meet at Quatre Bras, though the film lets him live until Waterloo). Watching her daughter and Hay dance, the Duchess remarks to the Duke of Wellington that, "I don't want her to wear black before she wears white." She's getting ahead of herself: it's 1815, and white only became a popular colour for wedding dresses after Queen Victoria wore it to marry Prince Albert in 1840. Still, overall, this is good stuff.

War

Waterloo Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Bondarchuk made the film with 15,000 infantrymen and 2,000 cavalry on loan from the Soviet army. Trained up to fight in 19th century style, and given time to grow proper moustaches, these men do an outstanding job as French, British and Prussian soldiers. It was said at the time that this put Bondarchuk in command of the seventh largest army in the world. As a result, the scenes of battle at Waterloo are visually and technically sublime, and must be seen to be believed. Moreover, the mostly hokey screenplay has its finest hour when the immutably deadpan Lord Uxbridge falls foul of a grapeshot. Uxbridge: "By God, Sir, I've lost my leg." Wellington: "By God, Sir, so you have." It is a joy to confirm that those lines are accurate. The leg was buried in a nearby garden, and became a tourist attraction.

Verdict

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER as Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, VIRGINIA MCKENNA as the Duchess of Richmond Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Historically, this is a solid recreation of the Hundred Days, and the battle sequences are among the most realistic you're likely to see anywhere. But, like Marshal Ney, the film fails in its charge. Napoleon was never so flat.