Customer Reviews

RUSLAN AND LUDMILA

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This DVD presents an ambitious adaptation of a well-known fairy tale by Pushkin. (Note that this is a feature movie, not a production of a famous opera based on the same poem.) I would recommend this DVD for any family with kids (ages 5-12). Disney lovers should not be disappointed.

The story quickly unfolds as a mighty sorcerer steals Lyudmila from Ruslan just a moment before they plunge into their wedding night bed (Pushkin's fantasy is amazing). Lyudmila's father, a king, is mad at Ruslan for he had not protected his beloved child and vowes to give Lyudmila's hand to anyone who finds and saves her. Ruslan and two rivals immediately depart for a long and treacherous jorney... All sorts of witches, enchanted forests, castles, knight fights, big battles, and anything else you wish for in a fairy tale.

Ptushko (an experienced master of fairy-tales: "Sadko", "Stone Flower", "Viy", the first two won some prises at Cannes in 50s) directed "Ruslan and Lyudmila" in early 70's and achieved a very nice cinematic effect overall. Great costumes. Nice special effects (esp. given the age of the movie). I liked this fairy-tale movie a lot when I was a kid myself and I still enjoyed it when I recently watched this DVD with my kid. However, as an adult viewer I can add that the movie may look pretentious at times and the actors "overplay" a bit. (Remember that this movie is mainly for kids and don't expect treats like Marfushenka, Churikova, in "Morozko".) Violence in some battle scenes is somewhat grotesque,... which might (?) be acceptable for a fairy tale.

The Russian dubbing tries to follow the lines/rhymes of Pushkin. In many places the original lines of the poem are altered to fit the movie script. These changes are not too bad, but it is still obvious that they were not made by Pushkin. I am not sure what happens with English, French, and other dubbings also present on this DVD. Anyways, subtitles are also available.

The movie (sound and picture) is restored and the technical quality of this DVD is good. Interesting bonus materials are included. RUSCICO prepared this DVD for Image Enterteinment release in the US.

I wish I could get everyone I know who's into really wild cinema a copy of this film!! Alexander Ptushko's truly deserves the reputation he has in Russia. You may have seen dubbed versions of his work on MST3K (The Day the Earth Froze, Magic Voyage of Sinbad) His work is brilliant and totally original, comparable with other fantasy filmakers of the 50s & 60s such as Karel Zeman in the Czech Republic, Inoshiro Honda in Japan or Ray Harryhausen in the US. At any rate this film (his last) is a fine introduction to his films. Expect lots of colorful characters, bizarre in camera effects (split screen, reverse camera) great color and more. Specifically you have giant talking heads, flying bearded midgets, magic crystaline ice caves and plenty more.

Note that there are two versions of this restored film available from Amazon, full-screen and wide-screen, and that Amazon actually offers the film under THREE different listings. "Ruslan and Ludmila", the Ruscico release, is the full-screen version, with a stated running time of 149 minutes. "Ruslan and Ludmila (Not Opera) 2002" is listed as the wide-screen version, released by Image Entertainment (using Russico materials); the running time is not mentioned. "Ruslan and Ludmila (Widescreen)[2 discs]" is also listed as the same Image Entertainment wide-screen release. To further confuse matters, Amazon mistakenly shows the same DVD cover art for all three listings.

Note that some of the private sellers offering the "Ruslan and Ludmila (Not Opera) 2002" wide-screen version seem to be confused about the editions, selling just the full-screen version instead, which is incorrect. My advice is to contact the seller first, before ordering.

This is a wonderful film up to the last 25 minutes when Director Ptushko goes nuts and brings in thousands of animals and extras and completely loses control of his film. The beauty and charm and gorgeous music give way to dozens of decapitations and impalings and other assorted gruesome deaths. Actually most of them are just funny. Three villains - one a major one - just disappear and are conveniently forgotten. See the first 100 minutes and you will probably be satisfied.

You should spend your money on Ptushko's far superior SCARLET SAILS, one of the most beautiful and romantic films ever made.

Excellent- A Classic-Brings back memories- This is a well done masterized product. However, one must take into account that the special effects and camera panning are those of the 1940's but as a whole, the picture is clear, colors are bright and the story is a beautifull russian fairy tale with all the dialogs in verse.
This and the Ilya Muromets DVD have brought an important added value to my personal videoteca.

"Russlan and Ludmilla" as an ancient Russian folk/fairy tale, which has been dramatized at least twice, once in a long narrative poem by the Russian master-poet Pushkin, and once in the opera by Glinka. This film is a long (near 3 hours, two discs) adaptation of the Pushkin poem. It tells how Ruslan, always devoted to his untried bride, rescues her from a wicked wizard while his competitors are sidetracked by their propensities for lust, gluttony, and glory.


Upsides:

The sets and costumes are historically accurate, colorful and exciting, and in many parts outright brilliant; the Director, Ptushko, knew his Russia and seems to have done his spadework. It was made in about the same era as "The Princess Bride", and the backgrounds have much in common, i.e., very good for its day. There are Russian palaces of barbaric splendor and magic ice crystal gardens that are simply beautiful.

As the film presents it, Pushkin's plot is easy to follow, and the characters are well-delineated by costuming and makeup so you always know Who's Who in ancient Kiev.

Downsides:

I don't know a word of Russian beyond "da" and "nyet", but the translation of Pushkin's verse seems contrived: a bit Shakespearean, but either not anywhere near enough so, or else too much. I often noted English dialog lines matching the filmed lip and tongue movements, which must have been Russian speech; if the translators acommodated the dialog to the visual facial movements, it was a dumb idea (who watches that?), but it might account for the stiltedness.

The plot is imperfect: after rescuing his bride (the story ended right there), he returns to save Mother Russia from the Tatars in a comic fairy-tale battle. Either story would have been a fine tale, by itself.


This is a great movie for kids with a long enough attention span. There is a little sexual innuendo, and some bloodshed, but it is certainly not being played for S & V: the Sex is all Love, and the violence is mostly funny. ENJOY.

This is one of master-director Alexander Ptushko's most magnificent spectacles, and one which will be enjoyed by children of all ages - from nine to ninety and beyond. From the literary angle, his adaptation of Pushkin's epic poem may treat the supporting sagas of some lesser characters imperfectly (I suspect that some scenes for the attractive "second hero", the oriental Prince Ratmir, may have ended on the cutting-room floor), but it captures precisely that blend of tongue-in-cheek romance which is unique to the great Russian writer.

Far more important, the film is a stunning visual treat, with awe-inspiring fantastic sets, beautiful costumes, wierd special effects, and sweeping battle scenes between huge armies of noble Russians and Tartar Hordes (though these too are on the satirical edge, with comedic beheadings and skewerings guaranteed to elicit squeals of delight from my youngsters at least!)

The acting is in the grand, stagey Russian tradition, with Pushkin's often witty rhyming couplets nobly delivered throughout (the English translation is excellent too). Natalya Petrova's Ludmila is one of those marvellously bright, sparky and energetic Russian heroines who is very far from passive. Even Tikhon Khrennikov's sweeping score, filled with rip-roaring songs and dances, adds to the glamour of this remarkable and constantly enjoyable film. Hollywood it ain't - and if you like your fairy tales cute this is probably too strong for you. Otherwise, grab this vividly colorful and lovingly remastered RUSCICO 2-DVD release while you can!