Taras Bulba

Film initially glue you with seat. You feel it interesting. Faces expressing the personality. Good photograph. But when you reach to the end, too much spilling of blood on screen nourish distaste. It would have been a good picture if it had sensible editing.

Bortko set out to make an apparent epic here, but sadly, missed an opportunity to tell a great story. I researched Gogol before watching this film; the essence of the story is covered in the film's plot. What Gogol did NOT include was the Russian polemic which slaps you in the face at every turn in this film.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that casting and costuming were great! Fabulous actors, wonderful faces, but a sodden, leaden, boring script deprived them of a chance to display their true talent. Bogdan Stupka is always a pleasure to watch, and for a better version of these times, watch Hoffman's 1999 Polish epic "Ogniem i mieczem", in which Stupka plays Bogdan Khmelnitski.

The patriotic speeches, both in the sich and during the battle death scenes, slowed the movie to a dead crawl (no pun intended!) and greatly detracted from the film's impact. As others have noted, this is truly a Ukrainian story, not a Russian one. Ukraine was mentioned only twice in the movie (I counted). Endless speeches (particularly with a slit stomach) about the sacred Russian soil really have no place in a story about Polish/Ukrainian struggles, and only serve to underscore that the film's budget was heavily subsidized by the Russian government. At a time when the East and West need to work together to solve this world's problems, western xenophobia seems highly counterproductive. Such films only widen the divide and hurt us all as creatures of this planet.

One note about the score: nice idea again, but endlessly repetitious. I recognized in the main theme a variation of a famous Ukrainian carol "Novo radist stala", which I have sung many times, but it was extremely overdone. A little variation would have been nice. The repetitive score reminded me of another score for Bortko's "The Idiot", a wonderful Russian serial based on the Dostoevsky novel (2003). More endless repetition of the musical theme was the one negative in an otherwise flawless ensemble of actors and a compelling story.

In summary, this film was watchable but mostly boring. Some of the horrendously violent scenes made me cross myself. Not a total waste of two hours; however, it left me feeling that it could have been so much better with a little more effort and less propaganda.

In same time, an error and a masterpiece. A film in which history is only an political instrument. Strong, hilarious and aggressive. And a movie in which every detail is explore in fantastic way. So, the result is a schizoid work. Shadows of Jirinovsky and medieval air. A fake Ukraine and romantic sticks. A huge picture and a boring manifesto. But the delicate fact is the absence of Gogol. The director, in past maker of spectacular pages of lost history, is in this sad case only organiser of a Russian propaganda show. Enthusiastic and full of good intentions, he crushes the original story. The Christmas tree is impressive; but only ornaments. The wood is far of the public. It is difficult to say if "Taras Bulba" is a disaster. The crumbs are good taste. The cake is old and strange. But the memory is more tempt by the beautiful coins and Kosacs costumes.

this is a good and hard movie for humans who know Russian history.5.5 is the IQ of the stupid who don't know noting.you must read to know something .if this movie is made by Americans his note will be 10,but is not,is made by Russian.i read the novel and all Russian history and this movie is an great example for the MAN who don't know nothing.the main character is the example of old school hero and patriot not some pussy whit a gun,a father and men .the Russian history is made whit blood and steal not oil wars.my apologize if i was to rude but not all the great movies are made by Americans.i am from Romania and we to make great movie like:MICHAEL THE BRAVE,VLAD THE IMPAILER,MIRCEA,OSANDA

"May they all know what brotherhood means on Russian soil." The true account of Taras Bulba (Stupka), a Ukraine Cossack who helped to defend his homeland from the Poles in the 16th century. This is one of the best foreign movies that I have seen. The movie opens with a "Braveheart" like speech, then we flash back to what got him in that position. The movie then begins to take shape and tries to cover every conceivable aspect it can. Love story, fighting, father/son tension, and the quest for freedom. Much like as in "Saving Private Ryan" the movie is bookended by very intense fighting scenes. This is another movie that is not meant for queasy viewers. The torture scene toward the end makes the "Braveheart" one seem tame. There is so much in this movie and I could go on and on about the aspects of why I liked it, but it's best to just watch it and see for yourself. Very, very well done. Overall, a fantastic foreign movie that has some of the most intense battle scenes I have seen in a long time. I give it an A-.

Would I watch again? - I might, but not for awhile.

*Also try - Agora & Braveheart