| Taras Bulba | 
 enlarge | Director: J. Lee Thompson
Actors: Tony Curtis, Yul Brynner, Sam Wanamaker, Brad Dexter, Guy Rolfe
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $5.63
You Save: $9.35 (62%)
New (42) Used (12) from $5.63
Avg. Customer Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 2836
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Latin (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 122
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: MGMDM110307D
UPC: 883904103073
EAN: 0883904103073
ASIN: B0010YSDAO
Theatrical Release Date: 1962
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new DVDs sealed in cases region 1 USA original.
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 09/23/2008 Run time: 122 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
"I will kiss the devil before my son wears a Polish collar!" declares Cossack warrior Taras Bulba, thus laying down the fundamental conflict of this epic film, based on the classic book by Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol. After the Polish army and the Cossacks defeat the Turks, the Poles betray their fierce collaborators in order to claim the Cossacks' ancestral home, the Steppes. Scattered, the Cossacks bide their time, and Bulba (Yul Brynner) sends his son Andrei (Tony Curtis) to a Polish college to learn the secrets of their culture. Though Andrei faces cruelty and prejudice, he falls in love with a Polish noblewoman, Natalia (Christine Kaufmann, a lovely German actress in one of her few English-language roles). Andrei, torn by love and loyalty to his people, risks everything in a desperate attempt to win Christine, even if it pits him against his own father. Taras Bulba is far from a great film--there are some laughable special effects, the battle scenes are confused and sluggish, and Curtis never quite loses his Bronx accent. Despite that, Curtis' star power comes through, and Yul Brynner tears up the screen with his amazing physical presence and emotional intensity; the man was truly a unique and compelling actor, who found only a few roles that suited him--this was one. By the end, Gogol's muscular plot catches you in its grip. The hypnotically gripping final scenes overcome all the cheesiness that came before. --Bret Fetzer
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Taras Bulba DVD Review November 21, 2008
Taras Bulba is a pretentious film with poor dialogue and phony characters. The only decent thing about this film is Franz Waxman's musical score.
 A good story used as source for a ridiculous film, which even the best of acting could not have saved October 29, 2008
I have read Nikolai Gogol's "Taras Bulba" and found the film with Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner to be a tasteless, cheap parody. The film does not provide a historical background or even attempt to explain the socio-political realities of 17th century Ukraine, but uses the opportunity to heave opprobium on the Poles, who are treated with some understanding and respect in the novel by Gogol. The film includes situations that may add effect to the film, but are not part of the book - such as Bulba hacking off the Polish colonel's hand at the beginning of the film, the attempt of Andrei's classmates to castrate him, the idiotic "duel" between Andrei and another Cossack, which involves jumping a gorge, and the equally silly "picnic" scene with the young Polish lady and Andrei making pitiful attempts at folk dancing (the very premise of that scene is ridiculous to begin with). These scenes only cheapen the film; there are a few good scenes for Brynner, Kauffman and Curtis, but they are not enough to save it. Perhaps the Russians could do better, when they get around to it.
 Better than I remember it August 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Saw "Taras Bulba" a couple of times upon its initial release, and remember a.)a tv documentary about the making of the film and b.)a photo-story book, which was loaded with black and white frame blow-ups and captions.
All in all, it's a lot of fun to watch. Utterly cliche-ridden and unshamedly so, the action is carried by the dynamic presence of Yul Brynner and Franz Waxman's brilliant score, which make even the obligatory
exotic-dancers-around-the-camp-fire scenes tolerable.
And, of course, there are the battles scenes, which are astounding in their sheer size and scope, and all accomplished years before computerized gimmickry! (I am assuming that the walled city of Dubno was built for the film somewhere in the Argentinian pampas); the violent and frenetic battle scene where the Poles retreat into the city is
worth the price of the film alone! (But it pains me to watch the relentless horse-trippings---this film MUST have set a record).
In ways Taras Bulba resembles "The Pride and the Passion" of 1957; both were based on literary works, both were filmed on location in foreign countries, both featured scenes of amazing spectacle along with casts of
big-named stars, some of whom may have been slightly miscast (ie: Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra), and both films were IMMEASURABLY enhanced by their terrific musical scores.
If you can endure the "CHEESE"-factor, Taras Bulba is really very enjoyable. Brynner at his best, the all-too rare, superb villainy of Guy Rolfe, wonderful old Vladimir Sokoloff's last role, Paul Frees's robust voice-dubbing, (unfortunaely, George MacReady is totally wasted in a brief role), a beautiful Polish Christmas Carol sung by a superb studio men's chorus, etc etc.
Too bad about the army of dummies used in the film's big climatic battle.
Scores of floppy, rubbery, disjointed soldiers and horses hurtle off a cliff into a ravine, bouncing every which way as they slam against the rocks; I recall the audience howling with glee when I first saw the film in the theater. Oh well...ya can't beat the fun in the old Steppes of Russia!
Garbage August 1, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
The movie is good, but this DVD was taken from a well used VSH tape. The video quality is poor. The audio is worse. I am glad that I didn't buy it and rented it instead. Wait for the restoration. That is if the film is available to restore.
Good Old-fashioned Schmaltzy Fun June 4, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
A great old movie, lot's of historical inaccuracies, but fun none the less. A source for many great comments to use joking with friends.
|
|
|
