Product Details

• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001P29QM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,487 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars beautiful movie in an incomprehensible dvd version, April 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Eyes (Ochi chyornye) [IMPORT] (DVD)

You have to know Russian for this DVD. It's not in widescreen, which is sad because the film is so visually sumptuous. The word stunning is overused to describe the look of a film, but in this case it truly applies. But the major problem is that the Ruscico version that I bought is in Russian with no English subtitles. BUT, even that's not the worst part: when the actors are speaking in Italian, there is a "narrator" that verbally translates into Russian what they are saying. This is so extremely annoying that you can't even focus on the images, much less on the performances of the great cast that's in this film.

Another Ruscico DVD that I bought, An Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano (also not in widescreen), has a trailer of Dark Eyes with English subtitles, but I noticed, if my ears don't deceive me, that horrid little narrator is still in the background in certain scenes. Is he part of the original theatrical version? I would tend to doubt it because there is no way that Marcello would have been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor with this soundtrack. Whenever he opens his mouth, in the current DVD version, he's drowned out by the Russian narrator. I can only say UGGHHH!!!! I appreciate the artistic merit of the great Russian movies; some are simply the greatest things ever brought to the screen in terms of aesthetics, and Ruscico is coming out with some awesome titles, but they should really consider putting them in widescreen whenever possible. We are living in the 21st century after all.

I recommend waiting for the translated version of Dark Eyes. The visual quality of the DVD is excellent--again, the thing that truly bothers me is that a gorgeous movie like this is in "standard" format; however, if we have to live with that, sobeit! But P-LEASE, I'm certain that Russian viewers can handle subtitles as well as anybody else. I mean, the DVD I bought isn't even dubbed. Or if it is, I haven't been able to figure out how to get that "possible" spec on the soundtrack because all the literature on the DVD is in Russian.

I know, I should have known better, and been a little more patient. Hopefully somebody at Ruscico will read this and consider some of my suggestions. These are only my opinions, of course, and I am not trying to be negative in any way, it's just that now I have a rather expensive DVD of a movie I want to see, and can't see it because I can't understand a word of it. And considering that it is soooooo dialogue intensive...need I say more?

I look forward to the subtitled version of this masterpiece, because Dark Eyes truly is a wonder to behold.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of money. Do not buy it if you do not speak russian, April 24, 2004

By 

Miguel A. Olea (Mexico, DF Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Eyes (Ochi chyornye) [IMPORT] (DVD)

I bought this dvd because this is one of the most beautiful films I have seen in my life, and I a movies fan. Unfortunately this dvd is in russian and they do not tell you this. Do not waste your money if you do not speak rusian.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie, Poor DVD, August 5, 2004

By 

Moviefanatic (Chicago, Il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Eyes (Ochi chyornye) [IMPORT] (DVD)

I agree with other reviewers. This is a great movie by one of the greatest modern Russian directors. Mastroianni is astonishing as always. Movie itself deserves 5 stars. I gave the overall rating of 4 stars because of the DVD package. There are no subtitles (I read the cover - Russin version only). Even though I understand Russian, listening to the behing the scene voice (by the way, it's Nikita's Mikhalkov's voice) is annoying and takes a lot from the movie appreciation. I totally agree that this movies deserves a standard treatment with the choice of languages and subtitles. The serious viewers are trained to read subtitles and treasure the movies the way they were intended. Can you imagine Fellini's, Kurasawa's or Ozu's movies with the director's voice behind the scene? I cannot!