I loved Taras Bulba the first time I saw it. The story, the acting of Yul Brynner, the rousing fantastic music score, the fabulous cinematic vistas (whether Argentina or the actual Steppes). I am viewing the DVD at present on a 40" widescreen TV and have caught special effects/makeup prosthetic flaws that I never caught before. Some are very poorly executed and would have benefited from cuts, leaving some of the gore to the imagination. These I'd blame on director J. Lee Thompson. I wish David Lean had directed it, or at least someone with a better eye for effects. One other flaw, at least for me, is Paul Frees' narration and voice dubbing. I associate him as narrator/promoter of many B or less movies. His "peanut butter in the throat" voice also irritates me. Still, Taras Bulba holds up very well despite these irritants and it's still a terrific, entertaining film.
Review of Taras Bulba
