Taras Bulba Reviews

• The Adventures of a Bronx Cossack

  
  By A2TJWNRBBU82FQ on 2002-06-24
  Taras Bulba could have been a very good film - possibly even a great one. But Hollywood values killed any chance of that. Instead, we have a reasonably enjoyable mess of a movie with two outstanding ingredients that rise above the rest - Franz Waxman's rousingly inventive music and a suitably over the top performance by Yul Brynner. As the title character, Brynner looks every inch a Cossack - swaggering and posing like a macho peacock, delivering his lines with that growling accent, and wearing his costumes as though he had lived in them all his life. Brynner was a hugely undervalued actor - a larger than life performer whose presence saved many a film. But the odds were really against him here.

  Instead of focusing on Brynner, the film makes Tony Curtis, as his son, the central character. Curtis makes absolutely no effort to look like a Cossack so it is not surprising that he doesn't act like one either. While the rest of the Cossacks are swarthy, burly, scalplocked he-men, the sons of Taras Bulba look more like a couple of surfers who have wandered in from the film next door. Worse still is Curtis's love interest - the enemy girl he falls in love and betrays the Cossack Brotherhood for. She is played with wan listlessness by Christine Kaufmann in a performance so wooden it's a wonder Curtis didn't get splinters in their love scenes. Still, in real life, he must have fancied her because he left Janet Leigh to marry her.

  Even with its insipid love story, Taras Bulba could still have achieved greatness through sheer spectacle. The costume department certainly did their bit - although some of the Polish uniforms are needlessly naff. The music thunders and roars - except for the obligatory love song sung by an oversweetened choir over the equally obligatory sixties montage sequence. Filming in Argentina may have been a good fiscal decision, but it doesn't help the look of the film - pampas are not steppes. Still, there are some exciting and effective sequences, notably the Ride To Dubno during which Brynner's followers grow from a handful to an army. The battles scenes are as lively as the Polish university scenes are dull. Sometimes the scale of the enterprise impresses. But you end up wanting to like the film more than you do.

  Perhaps the film's uncertain tone is best illustrated by a post-production anecdote. At a pre-release screening, director J. Lee Thompson supposedly turned to Yul Brynner and said: "I still don't see why you had to shoot Tony."
  
  

• Rousing, Moving, Brynner/Curtis Epic

  
  By A3BMRSE8N1858V on 2007-12-25
  Finally, the much-loved version of Gogol's Taras Bulba has come to DVD. This grand, large-scale production manages to entertain with great action sequences while moving the viewer by telling the story of founded in love.
  
  Taras Bulba, played by Brynner, is a great Cossack leader who fights with the Polish who continue to take more and more Cossack territory. His young son, Andrei, played by Curtis, is the only thing he loves as much as he does his people and his country. But when Curtis falls in love with a Polish girl, and sides with the Polish, he sets the stage for conflict and tragedy.
  
  Bulba loves his son, his people, his way of life, and his country. Andrei loves his father, but also loves the Polish girl. In the midst of a great adventure story, Taras Bulba manages to be a story about love, and the great sacrifices and challenges love causes us to make.
  
  This is a great movie, and very much deserving of a high-quality DVD release.
  
  

• Put your faith in your sword and your sword in the Pole!

  
  By APNFSO2RCZ2KD on 2007-12-22
  One of my all time favorite movies. Functions on three important levels. A powerful love story between Yul Brynner and his two sons, a desperate love story between one of his sons, Tony Curtis, and a polish noblewoman, all against a backdrop of steppes warfare. When all three elements collide, it becomes a haunting movie whose ending will have you in tears. Huge cavalry battle scenes-the best ever portrayed on film. Cossack brotherhood sworn to avenge the betrayal of Imperial Polish invaders, this is an adventure addicts delight. Waited a long time for this one, along with Solomon and Sheba and the great El Cid...Now where's Fall of the Roman Empire and 55 Days at Peking??
  
  

• A Cast of Thousands

  
  By A1W4ZCSG5I0890 on 2001-06-17
  This is a great movie, but at the time it was made it raised issues of national security in the country where it was filmed - Argentina. Because of budgetary and political considerations (remember it was the height of the Cold War) the producers decided to forgo the authenticity of shooting it on the vast, rolling steppes of the Ukraine, opting instead for the cheaper and more convenient location of the Argentine pampas.

  To create the phenomenal scenes of the mighty Cossack armies clashing with the Polish levies, the entire - and I mean ENTIRE -Argentine army was enrolled for 6 days. During this critical period the borders of the country were left completely undefended, making it possible for any neighboring power to swoop down and capture all the key strategic points in Argentina.

  This provided the Paraguayans with the perfect opportunity to avenge the war of 1860, and even gave the sea-less Bolivians the chance to regain a coastline, not to mention the ever present threat of the crafty Chileans. The Brazilians might also have been tempted to pitch in were it not for the fact that their entire army was simultaneously engaged in shooting a water-borne Carmen Miranda swimming-and-dancing extravaganza.

  Luckily none of Argentina's jealous neighbors found out in time to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. After watching this movie, I am sure you will agree the results were well worth the risk to Argentine national security.
  
  

• Great DVD release

  
  By A14OC67MXL92FA on 2008-03-31
  This was one of my favorite movies when I was eight years old. The theme of a son rebelling against his father was compelling to me even at that tender age. I thought Tony Curtis was very cool, and Christine Kaufmann was gorgeous.
  
  As an adult, this film is more than a bit silly in places (particularly the strangely inappropriate musical interludes) and Tony Curtis is hardly convincing as a Cossack, but while the dialogue is often corny and the acting largely sub-par, it succeeds as spectacle, especially in the Ride to Dubno. The theme of Nikolai Gogol's story is still a strong one, although this is hardly a straightforward adaptation of the book. (Gogol's story begins with Andrei's return from Kiev, about 45 minutes into the movie. Also in the book, Andrei and Natalia never meet in person. He falls in love with her when he sees her on the battlements.)
  
  The DVD is a superb anamorphic widescreen transfer with bold, vivid colors and a crisp, sharp picture. Fans of this film will be very pleased that a quality transfer has been made available at last.
  
  
• Put Your Faith In Your Sword....
  By A2QQSYWSDQ86ZB on 2000-09-26
  It's great to see that the 'Epic' has made a comeback with the release of GLADIATOR. I therefore urge those of of you who enjoyed it you to view and admire this sweeping, swashbuckling panorama of charging horsemen, ringing blades and booming cannons which explores a fascinating but little-reported (in the west) chapter of history. Set amid the Cossack struggle for independence from the Polish empire, this tale of warrior chief Yul Brynner and his relationship with his favourite son is full of dash and derring-do from beginning to end, and for me sits alongside 'El Cid' as the top epic of the 1960's which wasn't about ancient Rome. The highlight of the film is the stunningly-filmed sequence in which the Cossack cavalry regiments gather on the road to the city of Dubno, but the film contains several other fine moments: a gripping duel to the death as two cossack horsemen jump a yawning chasm until one tires and topples to their doom, and the scene in which Yul Brynner as Taras Bulba claims the leadership of the Cossack army and deposes the previous 'hetman'. The film's acting honours go unhestatingly to Brynner, who swaggers and struts superbly in the title role, while Tony Curtis is...well Tony Curtis. Franz Waxman's excellent score mixes gentle folk tunes and stirring evocations of galloping horseman. For film buffs: watch out for Brad Dexter, well-known as the Brynner co-star in 'The Magnificent Seven' who didn't make it to stardom, in the role of Taras Bulba's right-hand man. The last word goes to Brynner, who as he attempts to persuade the Cossacks to join his cause, delivers the classic line (to any Polish readers: no offence!)'There's only one way to keep faith with a Pole...put your faith in your sword, and your sword in the Pole!'
  
  
• A movie I'd like to share with my children
  By A1FELMP0C6AQZM on 2004-09-07
  As a young boy I loved this movie. Although I don't remember much of it I'd really like to see it come back as a DVD. I'd buy it in a second to add to my growing collection of what I term as classics. This was a wonderful movie. I just remember as I watched it I myself became a Cossack riding horseback as they did. Please someone put this on DVD!
  
  
• Indelible and Impressionistic storytelling
  By A7Y6AVS576M03 on 2005-04-05
  Set in the sixteenth century, TARAS BULBA is a very enticing and enjoyable action costume epic focusing on battles between Polish cavalry and Russian Cossack's for the control of the Ukraine. Yul Brynner plays the title character with great bravado and charisma with his unique and appealing mannerisms and screen presence. Composer Franz Waxman's score is one of his most rousing and haunting and is truly the centerpiece of this curious 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. 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.
  
  
• THE BRAVEHEART OF ITS DAY
  By A27MSJH4529GRK on 2000-07-19
  As an English teacher in Japan, I often have to answer stock questions like "Where are you from?" "How old are you?" and "What's your favourite movie?" This is where it gets embarrassing.
  
  When I answer Taras Bulba, nobody gets it. It seems that any movie older than 6 months, except Roman Holiday, is consigned to the realms of oblivion here in Japan. But at least this ignorance gives me the confidence to answer the question honestly. If fellow Westerners ask me the same question (which is thankfully unlikely as this is a rather unsophisticated conversational ploy), I am unable to answer so truthfully. "What! Your favourite movie is Tony Curtis playing a Cossack? " some of my acquaintances would undoubtedly sneer.
  
  I admit that Taras Bulba is in many ways a preposterous movie. Tony Curtis as the main romantic lead is particularly bad. Christine Kaufmann as the heroine is bland and wishy washy. Historically , it is less than accurate. However weighted against all these defects, which make it so embarrassing to espouse, are the film's good points, and the all important fact that when I first saw it I was at a highly impressionable age, and saw in a cinema, not on video.
  
  The action and the stunts, the manly virtues on display, the cameraderie, the contempt for the feminine side of life, the triumph of freedom, the incredible music by Franz Waxman made this movie particularly appealing to a 9 year-old boy seeking to get the better of his older brothers.
  
  Whereas Curtis seems straight out of 1950s Brooklyn, Yul Brynner has all the arrogance and charisma of a timeless warrior patriarch - which is probably what he was in real life anyway. The Polish and Ukrainian settings have a fairytale atmosphere and there is that unbelievble gathering of the cossacks underscored by Waxman's rousing music, one of the greatest moments in cinematic history. It's nowhere the best movie ever made but for a variety of reasons, it will always hold a special place in a heart that feels itself to some degree Cossack.
  
  
• A Brynner and Waxman Showcase
  By AW8XJG2I2VSYT on 1999-01-05
  I thought Yul Brynner gave an excellent performance as the Cossack leader Taras Bulba. The part was made for him. I wish he had been in the film more, and Tony Curtis less. Franz Waxman received his 12th Academy Award nomination for the score. It is great! Although the quality of the film is a bit uneven, it has 'The Ride to Dubno' in it, which is one of the most powerful and striking scenes I have ever seen in a movie. The movie is worth buying just to have that scene.
  
  
• A timeless and spectacular movie
  By A1DYJ8N8HN0V3P on 1999-04-27
  I first saw this movie when it first came out in full length feature film. Thirty three years later it still captures my imagination and emotions. Like many classics it is timless and to this day can still thrill first time viewers. A great story of heroism and unyielding character which we see so little of in todays world. Yul Brynner is able to capture the sole and heart of the free spirited Cossacks. Reminisent of the fervor of Braveheart. If you liked that one you will love Taras Bulba.
  
  
• Gripping and Emotional Forgotten Epic
  By A7Y6AVS576M03 on 2008-02-17
  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.
  
  
• one of YUL BRYNNERS best
  By A80ZFOFF6A6BB on 2002-04-15
  WOW, made for the biiiiiiiiiig screen .My husband actually sit and watched !And hes a history channel man.This movie shows Brynners expressive talents in a big way .Hes smooth .!!The movies of this time are well done ,surpass anything of today .Takes a good story and lots of talent to pull off this show ,and no clothes off !!!I now own most all of Brynners movies ,well 19 anyway !!!Could have skipped Tony curtis ,not the best choice for the son .Top BILLING ?Only at a price ,I read in biog.But the movie was exciting til the very end ,fast paced ,always action....I loved it ...and will watch again.Our tvs are only 30 in....I can picture it on a widdddddddde screen.WOW(and I'm a grammy....but a big fan of BRYNNERS )nothing less than 5 stars will do.its a winner .anyone who loves action films ..and long ago days ..will not be disapointed.
  
  
• Yul Brynner - the definitive Cossack
  By A224KM22RQ5CD4 on 2006-05-21
  Taras Bulba is the story of the Cossack's fight for freedom, a fight to reclaim their beloved land from the Poles. It is also a story of a father's love and pride for his son. Yul Brynner is the definitive Cossack in this movie. His swagger and bigger than life persona is the perfect match for Taras. His portrayal is both powerful and moving. Added to that is the fantastic horseback battle scenes on the Steppes. Those alone deserve 5 stars.
  
  The story of Taras Bulba had the potential to be a great historical epic had it focussed on Taras' struggle between his love for the Cossack way of life and that for his son. Unfortunately, given the box office requirements of the time, the studio execs decided to toss in a cheesy love story (complete with fuzzy close-ups) and Tony Curtis, with his matinee-idol hair-do untouched. That just jars you out of the period. According to his biography, Brynner worked long and hard to bring the character to life, but broke down when he saw the final cut. That said, this movie still deserves a watch if only to see the magnificent Yul Brynner and the wonderfully choreographed battle sequences.
  
  
• A Spectacular epic of 16th Century Ukraine
  By on 1999-01-06
  One of the most spectacular films ever captured on film (adequately represented in the original widescreen format). "Taras Bulba" is a tale about the Omanski Cossacks and their battle to reclaim the Steppes from the Poles. One of Yul Brynners finest roles, and includes a much sought after, riveting soundtrack by Franz Waxman.
  
  
• Best movie ever made!
  By on 1999-09-20
  They put alot of work into studying the Cossak tradition, and Ukrainian culture. As a Ukrainian Canadian I am proud of this movie that tells a story of love and hate. You can watch this movie over, and over again. One of the best movies of the Century. Bulba Rocks!
  
  
• Action with a purpose
  By A3MGHKJ7PSD6I4 on 2000-03-15
  A grand tale of adventure and struggle. When the Cossacks ride out from their villages and farms, with stirring music behind them, slowly expanding their numbers to become an army of liberation your heart can't help but beat faster. And the final scene, where the values of a people's freedom and greatness triumph over betrayal and individual self-indulgence, is a message that is timeless. It's been a long wait for this to come out for purchase; the excellent soundtrack has been out for over a year. (get it too).
  
  
• Brynner is the Film's Saving Grace
  By A31U2QT7SAL7K on 2000-08-30
  Curtis and then-wife Christine Kaufman are horribly miscast as Cossacks. In fact, Curtis is more unbelievable here than he was in "Spartacus," a few years earlier.

  However, with the rousing battle scenes, the exciting Waxman score, and, of course, the one and only Yul Brynner in the title role, the film is a magnificent adventure deserving of a wider audience in need of a great historical, albeit flawed, epic.
  
  

• Garbage
  By A34M614EHNFU3I on 2008-08-01
  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 movie. Should be advertized more!!!!!!!!!!
  By on 1998-12-14
  I am a pround ukrainian, and I have seen and read many books on the Ukrainian Cossacks. I think that this Movie was Dead on with Correct Information. I feel that Most Ukrainians Feel Proud that There was a Movie made About there culture, but i do think that there should have been mor puplisism towars this movie. There should also be more people awar about Ukrainians.!
  
  
• tony tony tony!
  By on 1999-08-22
  tony curtis and christene kaufmann really devoir each other respectively with their great intuition and looks. I love it when tony curtis fights in swashbuckling movies - he's so atheletic, alete, agile and nice to watch person! Taras bulba does a good job of 'bringing up' such talent in 'Andre bulba'! I give them both ten stars each!
  
  
• Good Old-fashioned Schmaltzy Fun
  By A1RJDQ7BLB8IB5 on 2008-06-04
  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.
  
  
• kitsch, but GREAT kitsch
  By on 1999-09-27
  OK, so its kitsch. But the score is great, and the acting is so bad its fun. A lot of those cossacks were in the Argentine army.
  
  
• Captain Alex steals the show! (Richard Rust)
  By A1QSQO6BZ0Z3OM on 2005-01-03
  I saw this movie in the theatre when I was a kid and even then I was slightly angered by the slams on Poles in it... but in some ways, I guess I could understand too, and anyway, I remember liking it, I never forgot it. This movie's lost in a time warp though - it seems like it was made in 1942 not 1962. I enjoyed it even with all the horses running in it, over & over. And over. The highlight for me was the close up of Richard Rust as Captain Alex - as far as I'm concerned, he outswaggered the other Moonchild in the movie, Yul. I watched this on a Saturday afternoon, I own it, and I recommend it for lazy Saturday viewing. Who's prettier than Tony Curtis?? Well, I'd say Richard Rust, but actually, nobody (maybe Tyrone Power.) Taras Bulba's a film for many people for many reasons!
  
  
• "TARAS BULBA"
  By A1RQE7WXWF9VTB on 2008-04-16
  No doubt "Taras Bulba" starring Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis was a great action and historical film. Also no doubt that the fight between the Polish Imperial Crown vs. the Cossacks was a commendable and patriotic cause for the mostly Ukranian Cossacks when Kiev, Ukraine was a Polish city. However this story creates a perception of an abusive giant vs. the small Cossacks representing the underdog. Although part of this maybe true, the fight between the vastly smaller Poland vs. the Ukraine and Russia of gigantic proportions not to mention its superior numbers in population, armies, both Cossack and non-Cossack is as realistic as a fight between a midget and colossal giant. And there is no way "the midget", no matter how "imperial" he may be is going to win the fight at the long run simply due to the fact that the smaller in territory and population, Poland vs. Russia the former will always be vastly outnumbered by the latter. Whenever the latter was the loser and it did happened a few times in history, is because they did not want to pursue that particular war any further and let it go as it was for the time being. Just do the math. Other than that its an excellent action film, very well acted with excellent color and impressive scenery and plot.
  
  
  
• Stick with Darkwing Duck
  By A8NNHSSN385RA on 2008-05-12
  After being taken in by other reviews, I was disappointed to find this a very thin plot and rather poorly executed drama. I couldn't much care for the downtrodden Cossacks or allegedly dastardly Poles... Stick with the same named character "Taurus Bulba"... from the Darkwing Duck Cartoon Darkwing Duck, Volume 1!
  
  
  
• The Ride to Dubno
  By A1PIOTD9Q0BKZ9 on 2008-05-25
  The best part of the film comes early on, in the sequence (and supporting score) "The Ride to Dubno." The building music and imagery of the Cossacks riding in from all directions to join the central figure of Taras Bulba serves to transform the screen from an intimate and rather forlorn depiction of a father and his sons leaving their homestead to the sight and sound of an unstoppable horde of savage light cavalry sweeping across the steppes. The price of the DVD is justified by that sequence alone.
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• Better than I remember it
  By A1Z2MZ9DV1K74T on 2008-08-06
  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!
  
  
  
  
• Anamorphic or Enhanced for Widescreen Televisions
  By A3HENAJJK8HDWH on 2008-03-25
  I cannot tell from the format information as to whether Taras Bulba which was released today is anamorphic or enhanced for widescreen. If it is not then I would recommend not buying it. If anyone has checked this out, please post a review indicating whether it is anamorphic. Thanks.
  
  
• oldie but goodie
  By A3PA2O0FC1JL74 on 2008-05-06
  An oldie that just came out on DVD with outstanding cinematography, excellent acting with Yule Brenner as Tony Curtis' Cossack father. Plot is predictable but the views and action scenes make up for it.
  
  

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