Tot samyy Myunkhgauzen

What can I say? This is one of the greatest movies of all times and a real jewel of the Russian cinema. It is such a great pity that this film has never really made it to the West and is totally unknown outside Russia.

The cast is superb and the acting is absolutely fantastic. You can feel a very strong influence of the Russian theatrical tradition here. Yankovsky as Munghausen gives the best performance of his career.

This movie is incredibly warm, romantic, optimistic and, of course, very very funny. Its humour is hilarious and yet very elegant and tasteful. If you don't know any Russian, just ask somebody to translate some of the jokes to you. My favorite funny scene is Mughausen's speech at the divorce hearing. "Some couples are created for love but we were created for divorce.."

"Tot samyi Munghausen" is an absolutely wonderful and fairy-tale romantic comedy, extremely enjoyable, something like a mix of "The Princess Bride" and "Four weddings and a funeral" only much better.

And yet, the film has a serious and a profound message underneath. It will make you think about intellectual honesty, being true to yourself, the real meaning of love, friendship and laughter in our lives. Watch this movie and you are guaranteed to fall in love with it.

This film is the crown of all soviet films. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to receive top-quality entertainment. All of the actors in this film are excellently chosen and fit into their roles perfectly. This film will have you laughing in some places and brushing tears from your eyes in others. The music alone is enough to captivate your attention. To fully understand this masterpiece, you must pay attention to the slightest movement, to every word. This is a very moving film that deserves no criticisicm and should be treated with respect. No matter how many times you watch this film, you won't grow tired of it. Simply superb. 15/10

Brilliant film in every way, every bit as great as Ordinary Miracle(also from Mark Zakharov) and perhaps even better. The costumes and sets are sumptuous and with a real Russian traditional feeling, somewhat like the quirky fairy-tale kind. The way The Very Same Munchhausen is shot is very appealingly done too, never too stage-bound or jerky. The music is beautiful too and very catchy, upbeat rhythmically sometimes but in a distinctive Russian style. The dialogue is extremely funny and witty coming from quite possibly one of the greatest scripts ever for a Russian film, even if you don't understand the language you can have somebody translate or try and find subtitles, that way you can see how funny and quotable it is. This is coming from somebody who isn't Russian but is studying it as part of her vocal and operatic studies course at university. The facial expressions of the actors, gestures and some of the antics of the main characters are though enough to give you a gist of what's going on. The story is always involving and filled with charm and hilarious antics. Underneath the immense fun you have watching The Very Same Munchhausen, there is also room for some seriousness in the messaging and it is done in a moving, heartfelt yet also uplifting way and not heavy-handed. The characters are very likable and engaging, and the acting shows all the actors giving their all. In particular Oleg Yankovsky who gives the performance of a life-time, he seems to be having a whale of a time but doesn't forget to bring some depth to the character. In regard to availability for The Very Same Munchhausen, the Ruslania website is a good bet(it's unavailable from Amazon at the moment), but oddly enough you can find the whole film on Youtube, providing it stays up, but titled with the Russian phonetic alphabet symbols and letters, Wikipedia can help as computer keyboards don't seem to have a lot of the symbols. In conclusion, a Russian masterpiece and one of the best Russian films ever seen by this viewer. If you can find the film, enjoy! 10/10 Bethany Cox

Do not confuse this with the dreadful eighties version from Hollywood. They both contain a central character called Baron Von Munchaussen and that is it!

Oleg Yankovsky gives his funniest performance ever as the title character who refuses to give to give up his own beliefs even though it would get him the thing he most desires in this world. (no more for fear of spoilers) I can not remember which film or book, but someone once said that 'a mans honour is his gift to himself.' and that is what this film is about if you are looking for a meaning,.......But that does not matter! If you are American and did not get the humour of Monty Python I am afraid this is also going to go whoosh, straight over your head too. Sorry if that offends, you probably do not think the Hitch Hickers Guide to the Galaxy was a particularly funny book either. The jokes and innuendo just fly non-stop from all the players. By far the best of the Mark Zakharov films.

I would have given in so that I could marry Marta!

This movie was one of the most hilarious satires of human foibles I've seen. Munchausen is an incredulous character, performing great feats and claiming to perform even greater ones. Time and again, something absurd rolls of his tongue and everyone (in the movie and audience alike) want to laugh at him.. yet somehow he pulls it off; until nobody believes in him. There is an excellent point made that miracles require faith, and faith is dead.

Despite the great philosophical value, this movie is just downright entertaining. Witty, gregarious, and full of joie-de-vivre, the movie cannot help but uplift your spirits and leave you with a smile.