In 2293 the world is broken up into various factions. The two major groups are the “Eternals” who are immortal and the “Brutals” who are mortal. The Brutals grow food to feed the Eternals. The Eternals live in what is known as the Vortex. At one time they were the rich and powerful people in the world. Now they rule over the Brutals using a stone god, called Zardoz, which flies over the landscape collecting food and dispensing guns. A subgroup of the Brutals, called the Exterminators, kill the Brutals thus keeping their numbers in check. According to Zardoz killing is good and procreation is bad.
Society in the Vortex is supposed to be utopian, but it is far from it. Everything is run by an all-seeing all-knowing computer essence referred to as the Tabernacle. Eternals who do not conform to the closed off society can be punished by aging. If they accidently do die, they can be reconstructed in a method similar to cloning or reincarnation. The society has evolved to the point where they do not procreate and instead of sleep, they meditate. Life is boring and some fall into a catatonic state. They are called “Apathetics”.
Arthur Frayn (Niall Buggy) is an Eternal whose job is to fly around the Outlands in the stone Zardoz head and monitor and study the Brutals. Zed (Sean Connery) is an Exterminator who is more intelligent than the usual Exterminator. Zed finds a library and manages to learn how to read. He voraciously reads everything he can find. One day he finds a book that changes his entire life. Zed realizes that his entire world is a lie. He hides aboard the Zardoz head. He shoots Arthur, who falls from the stone head. The flying head returns to the Vortex with Zed aboard.
Zed is discovered by May (Sara Kestelman), Consuella (Charlotte Rampling) and Friend (John Alderton). Zed’s appearance in the Vortex causes arguments and discontent with the Eternals. His mere arrival may spell the end of the Vortex and everyone in it.
“Zardoz” was released in 1974 and was directed written and produced by John Boorman. It is a science fiction fantasy film co-produced by Ireland, Britain and the U.S. Most of the filming was done in Ireland.
Some found the movie quirky, and some found it profound. I found the movie to be confusing and rather boring. It is a psychedelic nightmare and a hodge-podge of random thoughts with some flat chested women running around. It’s like Boorman took the concept of a bunch of other dystopian movies and meshed, or mushed, them all together. Then he tossed in the plot of “The Wizard of Oz” and a few sexual innuendos to make the film seem cosmic.
John Boorman as well as his three daughters, Daisy, Katrine, and Telsche, all had cameos in the film.