Zardoz

 

In the opening scene of writer / director John Boorman's Zardoz (1974) -- after a kooky prologue by a mysterious narrator of sorts -- a floating stone head with fierce shining eyes and gaping mouth descends on a group of masked horsemen, spews out rifles and handguns and orders the riders to kill the lesser brutes in the countryside.

The men bow and shout "Hail, Zardoz," grab up the weapons and remount. All except one unmasked, pony-tailed fellow who turns, pointing a pistol at the camera. He is revealed to be a mustachioed Sean Connery in blood red bikini shorts and a bandolier -- not a good look. He fires a single shot at the viewer, ala the introduction to a James Bond feature. (By '74, Connery was done with the Bond series with Diamonds are Forever ['72] -- that is, until '83's Never Say Never Again.) His performance as Zed the brute is so wooden and unconvincing, one wonders why he bothered to take the job.

One of Boorman's least impressive offerings -- remember Boorman directed Deliverance and Hope and Glory -- Zardoz is wildly ridiculous, brimming with hippy mumbo-jumbo, trippy psychedelia and flower-child costuming. But it also carries some interesting ideas about science and intellectualism, violence, sexual repression, classism and war.

Some of these messages are packaged better than others and the big surprise 3/4 of the way through might have some folks groaning (the secret is in the film's name) but the movie is worth a rewatch, particularly for its treatment of religion, orthodoxy and mind-control.