Zardoz (1974)
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Cast: Sean Connery, Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman
Zardoz is a 1974 science fantasy film written, produced, and directed by John Boorman and starring Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling. It depicts a post-apocalyptic world where barbarians worship "Zardoz", a stone god with the power to grant either death or eternal life, and who—in the opening scene—declares: "The gun is good! The penis is evil!". In this future dystopia, while the Brutals live in a wasteland, their overlords luxuriate in the Vortex, apparently as self-satisfied landed gentry. The Eternals created Zardoz to control the Brutals, inciting them to mass murder. However, Zed refuses to accept the status quo and his place among the oppressed, embarking on a journey that explores the theme of genetic engineering and exposes the devastating truth about the corrupt society he lives in.