Taras Bulba

Taras Bulba

By

  • Genre: Adventure, Romance, History, War, Drama
  • Release Date: 1962-11-21
  • Runtime: 119 minutes
  • : 6.3
  • Production Company: Avala Film
  • Production Country: United States of America, Yugoslavia
    • Watch it NOW FREE
6.3/10
6.3
From 72 Ratings

Description

Ukraine, 16th century. While the Poles dominate the Cossack steppes, Andrei, son of Taras Bulba, a Cossack leader, must choose between his love for his family and his folk and his passion for a Polish woman.

Trailer

Reviews

  • Wuchak

    6
    By Wuchak
    _**Cossacks vs. Poles on the steppes of Ukraine (actually Argentina)**_ In the 16th century, Cossacks on the Ukrainian steppe defy their subjugators, the Poles. Yul Brynner plays a hearty colonel while Tony Curtis plays his eldest son, who foolishly falls for a lovely princess in Kiev (Christine Kaufmann). "Taras Bulba" (1962) is based on the first half of the classic novella by Nikolai Gogol, published in 1835. At heart, it’s a sword & sandal flick that meshes “The Vikings” (1958) with Brynner’s “Solomon and Sheba” (1959). There are curious stabs at frivolity and amusement that are absent by the second half. The singing & dancing of the mirthful Cossacks seems a little too choreographed, eliciting a sense of unreality to the proceedings, but it’s such a small part of the movie it can be overlooked. One exhilarating sequence takes place around the 70-minute mark with the various tribes of Cossacks gathering together while galloping the steppe to fight at Dubno. There’s no CGI, it’s literally hundreds or thousands of men on horseback. The movie bombed at the box office. Although it’s not great like “The Vikings,” it’s almost on par with “Solomon and Sheba.” It needed more depth, like milking Andrei’s relationship with Natalia. Still, it’s entertaining enough to check out. Curtis was 36 during shooting while Christine was 16. He didn’t waste much time dropping his wife of eleven years, Janet Leigh, to marry Christine as soon as she turned 18 in 1963. The marriage lasted five years and Tony has lamented letting her go. The film runs 2 hours, 3 minutes, and was shot in northern Argentina (with the unit based in Salta), as well as Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, California (the outside love scene), and Universal Studios (the city of Kiev & Polish academy). GRADE: B-

  • CinemaSerf

    6
    By CinemaSerf
    This tale of the 16th century Cossack uprising against the Poles who had betrayed them years before is kicked off by a memorable, rousing theme from Franz Waxman. Unfortunately, it's largely downhill from here. Yul Brynner never looks comfortable in the title role. He has decided to fight the Poles on his own terms by sending his two sons to university in Kiev to learn their ways. His son "Andrei" (Tony Curtis) falls in love with the beautiful but rather coy Governor's daughter "Natalia" (Christine Kaufmann) and the film depicts the aftermath of this as the Cossacks are once again are summoned to fight with the Poles, though this time they do the betraying. At times, it is engaging - Curtis has an intense equestrian dual with another Cossack warrior jumping over a narrow ravine; but most of this is pedestrian and though well shot, the casting just doesn't really work and the pace of direction can be glacially slow. Guy Rolfe, ever the good baddie, features now and again - as does Sam Wanamaker - but it just takes way too long to get anywhere.

Recommended Movies

keyboard_arrow_up