10 Insane War Movie Facts You Won't Believe Are Real

An epic historical war movie focused on the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, 1970's Waterloo stars Rod Steiger and Christopher Plummer as Napolean Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington, respectively. While the film is known for its authentic battle sequences without the use of special effects, many fans of the genre are likely unaware that it was part-financed by the Soviet Union in the midst of the Cold War. 

In addition to lavishing eye-watering amounts of money on production, the Soviets went to remarkable lengths to produce a realistic portrayal of the battle. In addition to calling up 17,000 Soviet Army soldiers to play the extras, they bulldozed two hills, built five miles of roads and laid more than six miles of underground irrigation piping to produce the mud required for the conflict. They even reconstructed four historical buildings to lend further levels of legitimacy to proceedings.

While a clear motive for the Soviets' enthusiastic participation in filming Waterloo was never firmly established, the potential financial reward associated with such an epic production likely outweighed any political misgivings they may have had. Unfortunately, the film bombed commercially, failing to recoup the enormous cost of production.