Sadko (1953)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Aleksandr Ptushko

Writers:

Konstantin Isayev (writer)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (libretto)

Release Date:

1962 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

All the Magic of "Stone Flower". All the Power of "Alexander Nevsky". All the Artistry of "Grand Concert"

Plot:

An oddly Russian Sinbad seeks to bring happiness to his people - first by trying to give money and goods to the poor...

Plot Keywords:

Sea | Mythological | MST3K | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sergei Stolyarov	...	Sadko
Alla Larionova	...	Lyubava
Yelena Myshkova	...	Princess of Lake Ilmen (as Y. Myshkova)
B. Surovtsev	...	Ivashka the boy
Mikhail Troyanovsky	...	Trifon
Nadir Malishevsky	...	Vyashta the Giant (as N. Malishevsky)
Nikolai Kryuchkov	...	Omelyan Danilovich
Ivan Pereverzev	...	Timofey Larionovich
Yuri Leonidov	...	Kuzma Larionovich
Lev Fenin	...	Varangian Leader (as L. Fenin)
Mikhail Astangov		(as M. Astangov)
Lidiya Vertinskaya	...	The Phoenix (as L. Vertinskaya)
Stepan Kayukov	...	Neptune
Olga Vikland	...	Neptuna (as O. Vikland)
Sergei Martinson	...	The Monk

Also Known As:

Садко (Soviet Union: Russian title)
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad (USA) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

Argentina:80 min | USA:79 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color (Magicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Mosfilm

Trivia:

Spoofed as "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad" in "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (1988) episode #505, first aired August 14, 1993.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Sinbad sings, his singing voice is quite a bit different from his speaking voice. (U.S. dubbed version titled "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad")

Movie Connections:

Featured in Atlantis: In Search of a Lost Continent (1997) (TV)

Beautiful film with absurd English dubbed screenplay

This is a visually splendid film version of an old Russian legend, which was the basis of an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. The plot has been altered somewhat to enhance its appeal as a film, and , in the English version, the names of the characters and even locations have been completely changed, giving a most bizarre effect! The eponymous hero is now " Sinbad", and he is now a citizen of " Kobasan" instead of Novgorod. Some of the special effects are a little crude, but the art direction is often stunning. The acting style and even the makeup reflect Russian films of the fifties, and show an affinity to operatic style. Even the score borrows liberally from Rimsky-Korsakov. My advice to the viewer of the English version is to turn the sound so low as to be inaudible, and enjoy the visuals !