If you look at any list of the best sci-fi movies of all time, I’d wager that 1974’s Zardoz is not on there. It’s just too weird for a mainstream audience.
However, weird does not necessarily mean “bad,” and I’d argue that Zardoz, which was directed by John Boorman (who directed the worst Exorcist movie of all time, Exorcist II: The Heretic) is arguably more interesting than widely accepted sci-fi movies like Oblivion, Elysium, and Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds (Ouch, I just realized that I mentioned TWO middling Tom Cruise movies).
Well, anyway, Zardoz is a fascinating, albeit maddening, movie that stars a post-James Bond Sean Connery, and I need to introduce you to it if you’ve never heard of it before.
Zardoz Is Unlike Any Other Post-Apocalyptic Film Out There
People often tend to like post-apocalyptic movies because they can envision a world they wouldn’t want to live in. Zombies are often a staple of this vision, but there are many other end-of-the-world scenarios that have played out in film and television. The Mad Max movies are an example of a dystopia, as it’s a world where people are fighting over resources. In fact, a nuclear holocaust is another popular dystopian setting, which we sometimes see in a lighthearted manner, such as in the Fallout series, or even the oddball movie, A Boy and His Dog.
However, there is NO post-apocalyptic story like Zardoz (except for MAYBE The Time Machine). The year is 2293, and the story concerns a group of mortals called “Brutals” who wear these red diapers and pack massive firepower. Now, there are regular Brutals, and then there are the Brutal Exterminators, and they kill other Brutals and grow food for an enlightened race of immortals called Eternals (No, not those Eternals).
So, sort of simple, right? Okay, but here’s the weird part. The Brutal Exterminators are given weapons by a massive, floating stone head called Zardoz, which they consider their god. And one of the Brutal Exterminators actually sneaks into the stone head, and then incapacitates the Eternal within, which leads him to being a participant in a coup, as some of the Eternals are bored with their indolent lives.
There are a lot of trippy effects, and some philosophical discussions, and it’s legitimately one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen, which says a lot, since I’m a massive fan of David Lynch (RIP). Luckily, it has a stable lead actor to help the audience make sense of all of this madness.
Sean Connery Is Truly At His Best In This Gonzo Movie
Let me give you some interesting trivia: John Boorman once tried to make a Lord of the Rings movie, but he couldn’t get it off the ground. Instead, he made Zardoz. Boorman also originally wanted Burt Reynolds to play the main Brutal, Zed, but Reynolds became ill, so he had to bow out, which is where Sean Connery comes in.
Connery, as you may or may not know, was later offered the role of Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, but he declined…and later went on to do The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. What’s my point? Well, I guess it’s that there’s probably a parallel dimension where Sean Connery got to be in two Lord of the Rings movies, but we live in this dimension where we got him in two absolutely ridiculous movies instead, those being Zardoz and League.
Well, the better of the two is definitely Zardoz, where Connery is totally game for this oddball adventure. The movie is probably most known for Connery wearing a red diaper, but he’s actually a commanding presence in this strange story. As a Brutal who stands out for being curious, Connery does a fine job of moving the story along.
Other Eternals see something in him, and they want to take down their government from the inside, with Zed as their catalyst. But, like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Connery doesn’t just phone it in. He’s committed to the role of Zed, which sells this bizarre world, which I’ll get into next.
The Set Designs Are Honestly Quite Arresting
Shot entirely in the Republic of Ireland, Zardoz almost feels like two separate movies, but it’s intentional. On one end, you have the dreary wasteland where the Brutals live and harvest food for the Eternals. The fog sweeps in, and you get a real sense of the agricultural aspect of the film.
On the other end of the spectrum is where the Eternals live, which is called “the Vortex,” which looks very sci-fi. The Eternals wear outlandish, colorful clothes, and do weird things with their fingers to showcase their otherness. Technology (archaic as it looks) is prevalent in “the Vortex,” and it’s a sharp difference from what the Brutals experience.
But I love this contrast. Unlike a lot of other sci-fi movies that have a more consistent tone, the contrast of the setting between those with power and those without it is stark and heavy. And, in a lot of ways, I think what makes Zardoz so interesting is just how these colors clash. It certainly LOOKS dated, and I’m sure it likely looked dated even back in the ‘70s when it was first released (As a comparison, Star Wars: A New Hope came out only a few years later, and it looks MUCH better).
However, I find the look to be charming and distinct, which helps when it comes to the film’s major twist…
The Twist Is Actually Pretty Unique
I don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything here since this movie is from 1974, and you’ve likely had your entire life to watch this, but Zardoz is short for The Wizard of Oz, making this the strangest Oz-(semi) related movie ever. I’ll explain.
Throughout the film, Zed is taught to read, and he learns that their whole society is based on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which makes sense when you think about it, as the giant stone head called Zardoz is really just a sham. It’s not a god. It’s not all-powerful. It’s a humbug, just like the Wizard himself. And, once Zed realizes that everything he’s ever been taught to believe is a lie, he gets more on board with the rebellion.
He’s being used, though, as many of the Eternals, who are immortal and tired of their boring existences, actually wish to be murdered, and Zed is the one they use to lead them to their ultimate demise
It’s actually really clever, and it again sets this movie apart from other sci-fi films at the time. Now, if it could just get over its incessant weirdness, then maybe it would have actually been a genuine classic.
Overall, Zardoz Is A Weird Watch, But A Rewarding One
In the end, I don’t know if I would recommend Zardoz to everyone. For example, there’s this horror movie from the ‘70s called The Sentinel, and it’s so different from other horror movies (even from that era) that I think only a tiny segment of people would actually enjoy it, and I feel the same way about Zardoz.
In fact, I’m not sure I would even recommend it to sci-fi fans, since I think they might be bored. I also wouldn’t recommend it to fans of Sean Connery, since they might be weirded out.
But, if you want a weird watch unlike anything else you’ve ever seen, then Zardoz is that movie. It’s a bizarre but rewarding film, and one that I enjoy a great deal.
That said, what do you think? Have you ever seen Zardoz? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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