This image comes from the 1974 British film "Sardus". But even with this stunning look of Sean Connery, "Sardus" still seems to be somewhat unknown. Maybe the "original sci-fi style" of the movie is not fashionable enough, or because "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Planet of the Apes", "Fly to Space" and other sci-fi masterpieces such as Pearl and Jade were too bright and were ignored. However, "Sardus" is still very distinctive in terms of theme and content, interest and expressiveness. Using Sean Connery's shape and identity as the entry point, let's try to find out what "Sardus" is. Hope it arouses your interest in this movie.
Sean Connery's character in the movie is called Zed and lives on Earth in the future. At this time, the earth has already experienced crisis and degenerated. The surviving humans diverged into different groups, the most numerous being the savages who struggled like animals.
Zed belongs to a group known as the "Chosen Sons", and red underwear is their standard outfit. "God", that is, "Sardus", came down from the sky, picked some people out, and bestowed "eternal life". Of course, "immortality" is not for nothing. "God" gave them weapons to destroy the barbarians that were constantly multiplying and polluting the earth. So they are also called "Exterminator" ("Terminator", "Exterminator"). They are really just a group of thugs acting as killing machines, not much different from other barbarians.
The "Sardus" that appeared in front of the barbarians was a huge flying "stone head" that made a loud noise and gave the revelation and commands of "God". In fact, "Stone Head" is a spaceship, owned by "Eternals", and is the only connection between the two isolated worlds where the Barbarians and "Eternals" live. Although "Sardus" appears in the form of a god, it actually has a very practical purpose. It brings weapons, and also transports food and corpses that need to be repaired and reborn.
The audience will know later that "Stone Head" is not an ordinary spaceship, but a spaceship that used to look forward to exploring the unknown and finding new worlds. But the exploration failed, and the hopes of those who made it were dashed. Because of this, the current situation and what will happen.
The "Eternals" are a group of people who have gained eternal life, the former elite of mankind and their descendants. When the earth's polluted resources are about to be exhausted, they choose to protect themselves and build a Garden of Eden that is isolated from the outside world and belongs to them. They are self-sufficient, while the other humans are left out in the desert and left to fend for themselves. They see their choices as the only way to survive, a necessary means of preserving human civilization and hope. Take the private as the public, and replace Datong with the elite. Their paradise is called "Vortex", which is a vortex, or it can be used as the center of the vortex.
Later, they invented and built a "temple" that integrates knowledge, power, and informatization, and obtained the eternal life of people and knowledge. Reproduction has also become unnecessary. What's more, in their view, the crisis of human civilization is caused by the uncontrolled reproduction of human beings to poison the earth. They are no longer fertile; and they come to the wasteland in the form of gods, summoning thugs to slaughter barbarians, and control the population in an attempt to solve the corresponding problems. They offer guns that shoot bullets to kill people, and see another "gun" that shoots seeds to kill people as evil.
The "eternal people" formed a social system with equality and democracy as the basic principle. Everyone can get what they need in life and work, and vote to decide when they have differences and disputes. Of course, the most important thing is to identify with such a system as a member of the system, not to question whims or spread negativity. They don't need to sleep, but they unify their minds through "second level meditation." Violators will be punished by increasing their age (but not dying). The serious or stubborn will be considered "traitors".
As time goes by, there are more and more "traitors". The group of people who originally created this world no longer maintains their original beliefs. They are self-exiled and no longer participate in the specific affairs and operations of the system, and they yearn for death in a carnival. In addition to "Traitor", "Whirlpool" is also facing another downsizing crisis. The epidemic of a "disease" also threatens the "eternal people". Those who are infected are called "heartless people", lose their self-consciousness and become like corpses. They had fewer hands to work, but not less mouths to eat, so they had to change the way they treated barbarians, no longer blindly slaughtered, and forced them to engage in agricultural production to meet their food needs.
The crises of the "vortex" and the "eternal man" are obviously not limited to the fragility of the entire system caused by the backwardness of production methods. The establishment and existence of the "vortex" itself is only an emergency measure rather than a solution. Sacrificing others, making lies and terror makes it seriously flawed in jurisprudence. They gain eternal life as the gods of others, while their own "god" dies. They have inherited the heritage of human civilization, possess rich knowledge and collect various fine arts and cultures, but their spiritual life is poor and boring. There is also their resistance to reproduction and fear of reproduction, which leads to sexual and emotional regression, and life becomes very depressing and boring, boring to death. But they can't die if they want to. The establishment of the "vortex" not only caused the abandoned people to suffer disasters and struggle to survive and lose their freedom, but also made the "eternal people" inside them suffer from various restrictions and various "punishments", and they did not even have the freedom to die.
In the face of the crisis, the "Eternals" are divided over the search for a solution, and a division begins beneath the surface.
One is the conservatives represented by Consula (Charlotte Rampling). They feel that the "vortex" was originally established to solve the crisis, so what they have to do is to inherit the founder's will and unswervingly, strictly abide by the rules, eliminate dissent and differences, and maintain the existing system is the kingly way.
The second category is the reformists represented by the scientist Mei. She has no objection to "The Vortex", but casts doubt on "The Eternals" itself amid the numerous appearances of "The Traitor" and "The Heartless." She hopes to restore fertility and generate a new population with a view to forming a new race in the future.
There is also a group of reformers represented by "Sardus" deity, outlander manager Arthur Flynn and his colleague Friend. Not only do they disapprove of the existing system, but they see its very existence as a colossal mistake and hope to destroy it completely. And as people in the system, they are just a little powerless by themselves. So they hope to use external forces to break this deformed cage.
Arthur Flynn took advantage of his position to find Zed. A strong and full of life, and although he is a member of the "Terminator", he is touched by all the brutality that is taking place in front of him. Frain introduces him to a library, makes him literate, learns human history and knowledge, and guides him to see through the lies of "Sardus". (Flein showed Zed "The Wizard of Oz" and let him discover the secret of "Sardus". Flynn originally created (packaged) the "Saddu" based on the story of the wizard in "The Wizard of Oz" "Zardoz", whose name "Zardoz" is also derived from "The Wizard of Oz".)
Zard climbed into "Zardoz" and followed it into the "Vortex", seeking truth and revenge for deceit and slavery. The main story of the film starts here.
Zed gradually understood the truth of the world, and through the contact, confrontation and integration with the "Eternal", he gained more knowledge and deeper understanding, and finally surpassed the identity of the "Avenger". The "Eternal Man" was also changed because of Zede, and the original factors such as violence, desire, and emotion were stimulated, which also accelerated the destruction of the "vortex". Zed became a "liberator" and a "savior". He destroyed the "temple" and broke the boundary between the "vortex" and the outer wasteland. But he also rejected violence, and refused to meet the future as a victorious "Avengers". He saw through the essence of human beings, and realized the limitations of the individual. Like a saint, he chose to live in seclusion.
Among the "Eternals": Consula got love and followed Zed into seclusion; May led a group of people, with Zed's "seed" and knowledge, and went abroad; the vast majority of the rest included Frain, Including Flanders, he ushered in death with relief and happiness. The world is in chaos again, and everything will start again.
The above is the main content of the world described in "Sardus". The film's performance of human history and status quo, dilemmas and struggles is very rich and accurate. The "primitive science fiction" is not outdated and boring, and the thinking and problems brought out are also worthy of the viewer's attention. However, the director was a little rough in the handling of some details. For example, the plots or scenes such as Consula's transformation due to love and Zed's destruction of the "Temple" are a bit simple and abstract, which is a flaw in the overall effect.
Finally, let's talk about the beginning and end of the movie. Arthur Flynn appears in the opening credits as a flying head, and he talks about the meaning of "Sardus". Such a dramatic and slightly weird opening remarks, different from the general background introduction, will confuse the audience who just started watching the movie (you have to watch the movie to understand what he is talking about). At the end of the film, Zed and Consula are in a cave, giving birth, growing old, and dying together. The image is very impactful, but the expression is actually calm. Perhaps this is the director's own expression of the future of mankind: people must follow the laws of nature and return to nature.
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