Zardoz
Short description
Zardoz is a science fiction film set in a future Earth divided between two very different societies. One is a privileged group of immortals who live in comfort and preserve human culture, while the other is made up of ordinary people who struggle to survive and worship a deity called Zardoz. A trained killer named Zed manages to cross into the immortals' territory, where his presence disrupts their isolated world and forces a confrontation between the two ways of life.
The film was directed, written and produced by John Boorman, following Deliverance and Point Blank earlier in his career. Sean Connery stars as Zed, with Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman, John Alderton, Sally Anne Newton and Niall Buggy in supporting roles. It was made for a budget of two million dollars and runs just over an hour and three quarters.
On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.8 from roughly 27,000 votes, and on TMDB 5.9 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating stands at 5.5 from 39 reviews, placing it slightly below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The name “Zardoz” is formed from two words taken from the title of L. Frank Baum's famous fairy tale, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
- Zed's revolver – a Webley Fosbery.
- The Irish government initially refused the director and producers permission to import the weapons needed for filming into the country, due to the high terrorist activity at the time.
- The film was shot in County Wicklow (Ireland), and the opening shots of the film – a landscape of the Earth of the future – were filmed near the home of director John Boorman in Ireland.
- After filming "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), Sean Connery refused to play James Bond. As Berman recounted, Connery was having difficulty finding work in film at the time, and thus Berman was able to hire Connery very cheaply for this project. The film had a small budget, and to cut costs, Sean Connery refused the services of a chauffeur and drove himself to the set.
- Originally, Burt Reynolds was supposed to play the role of Zed, but this candidacy was rejected due to the actor's illness.
- During the signing of the papers, the Irish government initially refused the director and producers permission to bring weapons into the country, necessary for filming, due to the high terrorist activity at the time.
- The name Zardoz is formed from two syllables taken from the title of L. Frank Baum's fairy tale, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
- The final scenes, where the elderly Zed and Consuela die and turn into skeletons, were reshot three times. The first time the film was damaged, the second time the assistant director accidentally exposed the negatives. These delays greatly irritated the actors, who had to remain in makeup for a considerable amount of time.
- The film's director appears here in a small cameo role as a slave engaged in farming, and shot by Connery's character.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
