The 1970 film Waterloo still has the greatest battle scenes ever filmed, and it is unlikely to ever be unseated. Waterloo is a co-production between Italy and the then Soviet Union. Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, this classic movie won several notable awards, including the 1971 David di Donatello for Best Film. Waterloo stars Rod Steiger as Napoleon Bonaparte and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington.
Waterloo, as one might expect, follows the story of Napoleon's infamous defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon, one of the greatest military commanders ever, was defeated for the final time at Waterloo, ending his reign as Emperor of the French. Waterloo, one of the best military movies ever, tells the story of Napoleon's exile after the Battle of Leipzig, and his subsequent return to power a short time later. After returning from exile, Napoleon rallies the French to his side, causing the other European powers to declare war on France once again. All of this culminates with the lengthy and incredibly impressive battle scenes in Waterloo.
Waterloo tops the list of best battle scenes of all time because it is probably the closest thing to an actual reenactment possible. Waterloo uses over 15,000 extras in filming the battle scenes, still the most costumed extras ever used in a film. It also does an outstanding job with the costumes, making each individual look like a real 19th century soldier. Moreover, the real Battle of Waterloo was studied meticulously in order to make the battle scenes as accurate as possible.
Not only does Waterloo use an inordinate amount of extras, it also used around 17,000 real Soviet soldiers while setting up the battlefield, including a full brigade of Soviet cavalry. The Soviets also contributed engineers and laborers to build the sets and prepare everything for shooting. Overall, the filming of Waterloo was an undertaking without precedent in the world of filmmaking. The result is the greatest battle scene ever filmed, a feat that will probably never be equaled in film.
Waterloo's epic battle scenes will probably never be beaten because no filmmaker would undertake such a gargantuan task. With the advent of modern computer animation, there would be no sense in filming a battle in the way Waterloo does. However, the authenticity of this way of filming cannot be equaled by computerized special effects. The visceral effect of watching 15,000 real people reenacting one of the most famous battles in history cannot be equaled by the imperfect application of computer animation. The knowledge that these were all real people, each playing their specific role, makes Waterloo's battle scenes untouchable.