Customer Reviews

Taras Bulba

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

 

 

The other reviewers have already written about the movie - which gets my 4 stars. My comments here deal with the 1-star DVD transfer quality of the Kung Kuao "Best Movie Collection" edition from Taipei ... the one that lists YEL Brynner (sic) as the star of the film. First appearances are deceiving. This has nicely produced sleeve and disc artwork (despite the typos) but things go downhill when the disc goes into the player. The picture quality has deteriorated and it bears all the hallmarks of a second or third generation dub from tape. The menus are amateurish. It looks like it's been lifted from a TV broadcast or from a second-rate projection (track-marks across the screen from high contrast areas, weak colour and clearly visible texture and flaws in the projection screen). It's certainly watchable but a very far cry from the sort of quality we've all come to expect from DVD and DVD prices. It does run the full, uncut 122 minutes so if you're a collector and fan of the film then I'd recommend it to round out your catalogue. Copies are still to be had on e-Bay. If you're a videofile looking for a mint print then this one isn't for you. My old MGM VHS copy is far superior in both picture and sound but at least the DVD version provides a more stable copy that is less prone to damage. Be prepared to be disappointed. Roll on the studio-quality DVD release from MGM so we can really enjoy this great epic the way it deserves to be seen.

While the movie is good, thanks to Yul Brynner, this DVD is very bad. It looks like it was transfered from a worn out VHS tape to DVD. My old VHs version of it plays better than this DVD. The jacket has a few mis spelling names! Yul is Yel and other typos. I am almost sure that it is not released by MGM.

This is not a bad historical drama but it could have been so much more. In a production that strives to be a "big event", it falls short. Even so, it does have a little entertainment value.

The story is of the warrior Cossacks of the Russian steps. They are acknowledged to be the finest cavalry in the world. The Poles seek their help and the Cossacks bring victory, only to be betrayed. The Poles turn on the Cossacks and take their land to create a buffer with Russia. As a result, the Cossacks go into hiding for a time. They emerge when the danger seems past and the Polish universities are opened to the Cossacks. Taras Bulba sends his sons to school to learn all they can in the hope of eventually being able to defeat the Poles. Naturally, a love story and divided loyalties intervene.

Yul Brynner plays the title role of the Cossack leader, Taras Bulba. His is the outstanding performance of the film. His exaggerated, larger than life gestures make the character into something more than a wooden figure.

Tony Curtis plays the son. Some people seem to be distressed because his New York accent detracts from the character. I did not find this any more distracting than the notion that ancient Romans all spoke with British accents. Curtis does a credible but not stellar job.

I ordered the DVD through Amazon. I was surprised at what I got. It is apparently a pirated Chinese copy. It has Chinese subtitles and the quality of the recording is poor. Still, it was watchable.

let's get something straight

UKRAINIANS and their cossack ancestors are not RUSSIANS - they are RUSYNS, not to be confused with their so-called similiar northern kin and centuries old enemeies, the MUSCOVITE RUSSIANS. The latter would want you to believe that the Ukrainians are Russian so that they can keep the land that is wealthy of natural resources for themselves, for they usurped the title of KIYIV-RUS and called themselves RUSSIANS and tried many brutal campaigns of assimilation to destroy Ukrainian identity. Also, you do not place "THE" in front of UKRAINE - it's a country, not a region of Muscovy Russia. You do not say "THE BELOROSIA", "THE POLAND", "THE CROATIA", "THE ITALY", "THE ISRAEL", get the idea now?

Going back to the movie, it depicts Ukrainian cossack warriors in the 16th century, not the 18th century and is supposed to be parallel to the life and times of the famous Ukrainian Hetman BOHDAN KHMELNITSKIY.

It's a pretty decent depiction with a whole lot of drama and romance that also kind of blurred the historical narration of things.

I looked high and low for this Dvd on the internet cause I knew I wouldn't beable to find it at the stores. I finally found it and a great price. Also came quickly

I saw this movie a long time ago, but it was just as I remembered it. Great seller !!!

Yul Brynner with his gypsy background and larger than life screen presence is the quintessential TARAS BULBA. Brynner plays the title character with great bravado accentuating his charisma with his unique and appealing mannerisms. Set in the sixteenth century, TARAS BULBA is an enticing, emotional and enjoyable action historical epic focusing on battles between Polish cavalry and Russian Cossack's for the control of the Ukraine. Composer Franz Waxman's score is both rousing and romantically haunting and along with Brynner's performance is truly the centerpiece of this intriguing film. Waxman's score beautifully captures the magnificence of the Cossacks as they ride with gathering momentum across the screen and equally captures the obsessive nature of the love affair between Tony Curtis and Christine Kaufmann. Tony Curtis, no stranger to this genre, gives a very credible performance as Taras Bulba's son torn between love and duty. Director J. Lee Thompson's flair for impressionistic storytelling is quite evident. There are many indelible images that the viewer can take away from this film. Norma Koch's costumes, Edward Carrere's art designs, Joseph MacDonald's cinematography and Franz Waxman's brilliant score again all contribute to the enduring nature of this underrated film.