Taras Bulba (1962) User Reviews

Entertaining (but not in the "pampas")

[ragosaal · 6/10 · 13 October 2006]

I've seen the reviews here and a couple of comments set "Taras Bulba"'s location in the Argentine pampas. As a native Argentine I must say that's not correct; the pampas run all through the middle part of our Country but this film was shot in the Province of Salta way up in the northern part of Argentina (some 1400 miles from Buenos Aires); the pampas are a huge flat ground very fertile, but Salta is uneven with not too high hills ("cerros") very different from the pampas. Another reviewer says Tony Curtis declared once that when he and co-star Kristine Kaufmann got mixed up during the filming he was already divorced of Janet Leigh; I don't know about that but I can assure you that Leigh came to Salta with him (a friend of mine has a photo with her on the "cerros").

As to the picture, I really enjoyed it -also because I lived in Salta a couple of years and the landscape is very familiar to me- but I think a real classical epic could have come out of Nicolai Gogol's famous novel with a more elaborated script (as a reviewer correctly stated here).

J. Lee Thompson's product seems sort of "cheap" and lacks spectacle (except for some real good battle scenes) although I admit if has some very good moments. A somehow impressive one is when the big doors of the sieged city open slowly and André (Curtis) appears in a frontal close shot wearing a Polish armor and helmet for he will make a run for food too feed the starving citizens inside in a clear treason to his country and father for the love of a woman. Also the final dark atmosphere Thompson achieves when Taras (Yul Brynner) confronts his favourite son after a treason he can't possibly understand and even less when André just explains "I did what I had to do".

Brynner's performance though a little overacted is good enough and he fills the role of Taras easily. Tony Curtis makes a great effort and gets some good moments as André though he clearly lacks the appropriate "physic du rol". The rest of the cast gives a good support, among them Sam Wanamaker, Brad Dexter, Guy Rolfe and George MacReady. German actress Kristine Kauffman shows her beauty.

All in all "Taras Bulba" comes out as an entertaining and amusing film in its genre and a decent intent on Gogol's book, but no much more than that.

Faith and a good Sabre arm.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 25 November 2011]

Taras Bulba is directed by J. Lee Thompson and adapted to the screen by Waldo Salt and Karl Tunberg from a story by Nikolai Gogol. It stars Yul Brynner, Tony Curtis, Christine Kaufmann and Perry Lopez. Out of United Artists, it's a DeLuxe/Eastman Color/Panavision production, with the music scored by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald.

Loosely based on Gogol's short novel, story tells of a Cossack uprising against the Polish forces who have taken control of the Ukraine. At the centre of the Cossack army is the leader Taras (Brynner) and his two sons, Andrei (Curtis) and Ostap (Lopez). But when Andrei falls in love with a Polish princess called Natalia (Kaufmann), it sets the wheels in motion for the Bulba family to crack from within; just as the Polish come calling asking for the Cossacks' help to defeat the Turkish.

While not as epic as the film, the troubled back story of the production is big enough to lend one to understand why Taras Bulba is not the grandiose picture the story deserves. Main problem comes with casting, particularly that of Curtis as the elder Bulba son. It should have been Burt Lancaster, who walked, so in came Curtis and a decision was made to put him front and centre of the picture. Thus rendering Brynner's title character to playing second fiddle, so much so they really should have called the film Andrei Bulba instead. On his day Curtis could act, but he's out of place here playing a Cossack with brain and brawn. Then there was the small matter of Curtis' marriage to Janet Leigh falling apart, with Leigh visiting the set, falling ill and no doubt noticing the sparks flying between Curtis and his delectable co-star, Kaufmann. Curtis would say it wasn't the final straw, but with him going on to marry Kaufman shortly after his divorce, it's hard not to think that it sealed the deal!

He's not helped by the writers, though, who allow the love story sub-plot between Andrei and Natalia to form the core of the plot. They too, Messrs Salt & Tunberg, were brought in after historical novelist Howard Fast (Spartacus) refused to tone down the screenplay. He wanted to include what was an important part of the Cossack/Pole war, that of the Cossacks anti-Semitic attack on Polish Jews. The makers balked and Salt & Tunberg came in and delivered the Andrei overkill and some rather cheese laden dialogue. Brynner was crushed, his biography (written by his son Rock) reveals that it was a role and film he cared for more than any other, he had grand plans for the portrayal but the makers didn't share his view. A shame because what we do get of Brynner is wonderfully exuberant, muscular and (correctly) scene stealing.

However, when Taras Bulba as a film is good, it's real good, and thankfully it's never dull, even if it's a bit more jovial in the mid section than it is meant to be. Thompson was a fine director of action and suspense, and he gets to flex his muscles here to great effect. Casting aside the cheap shots of dummies and wooden horses being hurled about a couple of times, the sight of thousands of men on horseback swarming across the Steppes (actual location used was Argentina) is spectacular. The battles are fierce, violent and gripping, while the scenes in the Cossacks camps are joyous as men drink, sing, test their manhood by doing things like dangling over a bear pit, it's all very robust and Vikingesque, but entertainingly so. There's even some dashing sword play, while quality suspense is eked out during a challenge to the death over a seemingly bottomless gorge.

Joseph MacDonald's Panavision photography neatly brings the wide vistas to life, aided by the use of Eastman Color which gives off a nice period hue. Waxman delivers a blunderbuss score that's seasoned with Russian vitality, while the costume department deserves a mention for their efforts, particularly for the Polish army who look dandy men of steel. Yes it's a film of flaws and bad decisions, but the good does outweigh the bad in this instance, and how nice it is to have the chance to see a little known part of "bloody" history up there on the screen. 7/10

Historically inaccurate

[gunjinokanrei · 7/10 · 21 March 2007]

While I admire Yul Brynner as Bulba, as well as those breathtaking battle scenes, I must say some idiotic historical inaccuracies in this movie took out a bit of fun while watching it.

1st of all, costumes. Especially those silly Russian-style shirts on both sons in tavern scene. Polish army outfits.

2nd - cossacks (ukrainian Cossacks - NOT Russian cossacks) were mostly infantry, they were renowned by being best foot-soldiers of their time. While many horse raiders look great on widescreen it's not really true.

3rd - some music used in movie is actually Russian! Ukrainian Cossacks from 16th century sing Russian song from 19th century??? Kalinka-Malinka is NOT Ukrainian song! In general, while watching this movie I see a lot of Russian-based influences, interesting where and why they came from. In 16th century Russia was unimportant and weak country, still bearing heritage of Kyiv Rus' and paying tribute to Golden Horde in order to survive. Hence she has no significant, if at all, influence on her neighbors. But in movie we see Brynner speak with Russian accent, Cossacks sing Russian songs and dancing weird dances (this is NOT hopak, Ukrainian traditional dance) What we see here is yet another example of old Hollywood blockbuster movie made without serious historical research, and yes, it's really great that to-day movies are made using totally different approach - instant examples are Gladiator, Rome TV-series or With Fire and Sword.

All in all, movie is good, but remember: Ukrainians are NOT Russians, and in Ukrainian language Zaporostsi is pronounced Za-po-ro-zh-tsee.

Yul Brynner - the definitive Cossack

[marzmello · 22 May 2006]

Taras Bulba is the story of the Cossack's fight for freedom, a fight to reclaim their beloved land from the Poles. It is also a story of a father's love and pride for his son. Yul Brynner is the definitive Cossack in this movie. His swagger and bigger than life persona is the perfect match for Taras. His portrayal is both powerful and moving. Added to that is the fantastic horseback battle scenes on the Steppes. The scenes where the Cossack regiments gather with a rallying cry are awesome. Those alone deserve a 10.

The story of Taras Bulba had the potential to be a great historical epic had it focused on Taras' struggle between his love for the Cossack way of life and that for his son. Unfortunately, given the box office requirements of the time, the studio execs decided to toss in a cheesy love story (complete with fuzzy close-ups) and Tony Curtis, with his matinée-idol hairdo untouched. That just jars you out of the period. According to his biography, Brynner worked long and hard to bring the rich character to life, but broke down when he saw the final cut. That said, this movie still deserves a watch if only to see the magnificent Yul Brynner and the wonderfully choreographed battle sequences.

The penalty is death. For ANYTHING, the penalty is death.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 6 September 2009]

It's hard to resist this headlong story of Zaparoshki cossack Taras Bulba, Yul Brynner, and his son Andry, Tony Curtis, set in the 1600s. Essentially, the plot is that Taras Bulba hates the Poles and is always ready to revolt and fight them, but Curtis falls in love with a Polish princess while studying in Kiev. In the end, Curtis saves his girl, Christine Kaufmann, but only at the expense of his life. To keep Kaufmann from being burned at the stake, Curtis helps the Poles and is executed by Taras Bulba, his own father.

This is the kind of movie that's usually called "epic." They must have used a thousand extras in scenes of hordes of horsemen sweeping across the Russian steppes. All of them wear colorful costumes. Nobody ever rides a horse except at full gallop. The musical score by Franz Waxman soars above all the on screen noise. The three opening notes of the main theme, first up and then down, follow precisely those of the most familiar Japanese folk song in existence, easily YouTubed.

And, man, is there a lot of noise. Cossacks lived in semi-independent communities that were organized along military lines, with regiments and so forth, and they fought hard and played equally hard. Their usual role when allied with other armies was reconnaissance and ambushes.

The Jivaro tribe of the Amazon basin, major headshrinkers, were also fond of ambushes in warfare. I don't know why I'm inserting this datum. I guess since I had to learn it, I don't see why anyone else should have the privilege of not knowing it. Try to think of it this way. There are maybe three or four people on earth that know that the ambush was the Jivaro's favorite tactic in combat -- and you are now one of them. I shake your hand.

Where was I? Yes, a stupendous, colossal movie in every respect but it is dated. If they were to make a modern movie of Gogol's story (and they have, just this year), I don't think Tony Curtis or anyone like him would be chosen to play Andry. Nor would the actor have Curtis's slicked-back and gelled hair do. And every scene wouldn't be shot under the blazing suns of California, Argentina, and Yugoslavia -- especially not Yugoslavia. There would be occasional clouds, rain, and mud. Everything wouldn't be so sterile, so free of lice and pimples. In short, a remake wouldn't look so much like it had been produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The movie belongs to the Old Hollywood, the classical Hollywood of studios and contract players, that was fast disappearing. This may be among the system's last ticks.

I don't know who they might get to play Taras Bulba. Yul Brynner seems to the character born. He was a Russian himself and in this kind of arrogant role, his default setting was the King of Siam. He always stands with his legs spread, his fists on his hips, and he bellows every word.

And I can't be sure about Christine Kaufmann as Princess Natalia either. She's a pretty young woman with a winsome manner. Tony Curtis married her. She's not much of an actress as far as it's possible to tell -- she has so few lines -- but her evident shyness before the camera may add the proper touch to her character. It's conceivable that a young cossack might fall for her tiny voice and gracile figure after all the muscular and hairy cossack women he's gotten used to. It's also conceivable that the romance will bore your cuirass off.

These cossacks lead one hell of a life, by the way. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing to excess. They don't talk; they shout. They only have two interactional modes into which they can toggle. They either argue or play grab ass. Each cossack man drinks enough vodka to topple a rhinoceros, and THEN he walks across a plank balanced over a pit of enraged bears. A man stakes everything on his personal honor. A cross word must lead to death during a particularly tense and grueling ritual, at the end of which the loser takes his horse with him, a dirty trick on an innocent animal.

The penalty for opposing the will of the majority is death. The penalty of accusing someone of cowardice is death. The penalty for falling in love with the wrong Polish princess is death. The penalty for everything is death. In one version of Gogol's story, Taras Bulba is nailed to a tree and set on fire. But -- this being Hollywood and not the banks of the Dniper -- in this movie Brynner survives, sadder perhaps about slaughtering his own son, happier perhaps because the cossack way of life is preserved, but no wiser.

Impressive battles and loving intrigue with a sensational duo : Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 5 February 2007]

From Harold Hecht production comes the magnificent presentation of Nicholas Gogol's undying story of the mighty chief charging against the Poles into strange lands of the steps . Taras Bulba with his tribes wager war through the long corridors of courage . At this time Polish rule over Ukraine , they join forces with the Cossacks to vanquish the Turks . One time are defeated they force to the Cossacks to live on bad lands . Taras Bulba (Yul Brynner) sends his sons (originally was hired Burt Lancaster but role subsequently was to Tony Curtis and Perry Lopez) to a Polish school . There they encounter hatred , confrontation , struggles but also love when Curtis is enamored with the daughter (Austrian actress Christine Kauffman , she met Tony Curtis on the set and later married him) of a Polish nobleman .

The film gets noisy action , adventures , romance , jarring burst of violence and results to be quite entertaining . Breathtaking battles well staged with thousands of extras displayed by Army of Argentina where was actually shot . Besides , it contains exciting rider races with bounds and leaps over cliffs as well as horses and men falling into the deep . Actors interpretation is more distinguishing , it features of otherwise routine spectacle . Brynner as a straight-talking , savvy chief leading his tribe is superb . He's perfect as a proud , wise and stalwart leader . Brynner plays one of his usual oriental or exotic roles (similarly to Brothers Karamazov , King and I , Salomon , Ten Commandments). Tony Curtis turns a fine performance . Brynner and Curtis together for the first time , like father and like son in this exciting adventure . Tony Curtis plays Yul Brynner's son, but Curtis was only five years younger than Brynner in real life . Perry Lopez and Curtis are also "college students" , when in real life they are about age of 37 . The secondary casting is frankly good such as : Brad Dexter , Sam Wanamaker , Guy Rolfe , Abraham Sofaer and Vladimir Sokoloff's last film , among others . Spectacular and epic musical score by Franz Waxman . Colorful and glamorous cinematography filmed amid the splendor of its original locale by Joe McDonald . The motion picture was brilliantly directed by J. Lee Thompson (Guns of Navarone , Cape fear) , though in his finale career directed Charles Bronson vehicles . The Nikolai Gogol story titled ¨Taras Bulba¨ was formerly filmed in France (1936) , England (1963) and Italy (1963) by Ferdinando Baldi . The movie will appeal to Yul Brynner fans and costumer enthusiasts .

Music

[mikemoldovan · 7/10 · 2 February 2006]

I agree with most of the posts. However, one area that does not get attention is the soundtrack to the movie. When the Cossacks gather and ride to the Polish city to fight, the music is truly great. Having seen the movie over 40 years ago I can still hear the music of the ride to Dubnoi over and over in my head. I find it intoxicating!! Yul Brenner is made for the part of Tarus. I could never see Tony Curtis as a Ukrainian prince and his looks do not fit the part. He is however a Hungarian of Eastern European descent. This is a fun movie that has a great score, cinematography, and some interesting scenes and performances. The Yul Brenner song is laughable though.

It's for everyone who loves a sweeping spectacle of a film.

[Bond-54 · 7/10 · 18 September 1999]

I first saw Taras Bulba when I was 13. Seeing it now (1999) I'm still impressed with this sweeping historic tale of Poles vs. Cossacks on the Russian Steppes! The Argentine Pampas was used for the Steppes and the cinematography is so grand it gets across the fierce love the Cossacks have for their land. Yul Brynner, with bold posturing and stirring statements of courage,connects you to the story as well. Tony Curtis and Christine Kaufmann provide the "Romeo & Juliet" love story. It's not everything that Nikolai Gogol presented in his classic novel, but powerful enough in its visuals alone to stay with you a lifetime.

"Ride Like A Cossack, Fight Like A Cossack"

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 22 August 2007]

Although the famous Nikolai Gogol novel, Taras Bulba, was filmed many times, this version starring Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner is the best known at least in the USA. It's an exciting portrait of 16th century Ukraine under the then powerful kingdom of Poland.

What's strangely muted in this version though is the religious angle. The Poles are Roman Catholic and the Ukranians are Russian Orthodox, it's a very big part of the reason for the resentments shown here yet we never see the religious beliefs portrayed for either group. Not sure why the script didn't include it.

As rulers the Poles hire out the Cossack Ukranians who in today's terminology might be considered a paramilitary outfit to fight off the Ottoman Turks and then turn on them. Yul Brynner as one of the Cossack brigade commanders lops off the right hand of Guy Rolfe, the Polish prince in retribution, but that hardly satisfies. He goes back to the steppes of the Ukraine and awaits a time for some real payback.

In the meantime he fathers two sons, Tony Curtis and Perry Lopez, who both inherit their father's geopolitical views. Brynner sends them off to school in Poland to learn all the Poles know.

While there Curtis falls in love with a Polish princess Christine Kauffman. It's the beginning of his downfall as a Cossack.

In his memoirs Tony Curtis says that Yul Brynner was a strangely aloof character with a sort of self imposed grandeur about him in his manner. But that Taras Bulba was a part he was born to play. I certainly can't visualize anyone else in the role, including Burt Lancaster who originally had the screen rights then gave them to Tony Curtis when he couldn't do the film. Of course Brynner being in the title role might have had some resentments to being second billed to Curtis, but Curtis in fact as a co-producer and he who produces decides billing.

Curtis also mentions that on the Argentine pampas location away from American laws, the long banned 'flying W' was used in the filming of the battle and charge scenes and many horses were killed. He also mentions that with production overrun costs and accountants ripping him and the film company off what started as a three million dollar film became a nine million dollar film and Taras Bulba in theatrical release barely cleared ten million.

However Tony did get a second wife out of the film. Christine Kauffman became the second Mrs. Tony Curtis after the film. Curtis says that Christine did not break him and Janet Leigh up, that things were over before he met here, still that was the common gossip back in the day.

Director J. Lee Thompson made great use of the Argentine pampas standing in for the Ukraine steppes and one does get a feel for the Cossack love of the land the freedom of the wide open spaces. Cossack stories in the Ukraine are just like our American westerns. Those people for all their faults settled and conquered much of what is now Russian Federation.

As a bonus Franz Waxman's musical score which did earn Taras Bulba it's only Academy Award nomination is really quite rousing. We get to hear Yul Brynner sing in this film which is a treat, a Cossack drinking song. And the love theme for Curtis and Kauffman, The Wishing Star, is a very beautiful song that Tony Martin put on an album of film songs he did at the time.

Ukranian Americans loved this particular film for which I can personally attest. I think others will as well.

Sort of like "The Vikings" and "Romeo & Juliet" on the Steppes!

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 30 July 2020]

"Taras Bulba" is an epic movie about Ukrainian Cossacks and their longing for freedom while under Polish rule. Yul Brynner plays the title character, but he is clearly not the star of the movie....Tony Curtis (who plays his son, Adrei) is.

The film begins with the combined Cossack and Polish forces beating the Turks in battle. However, the Poles are duplicitous and after the battle, they attack and enslave their former allies, the Cossacks. The leader of the Cossack forces, Taras Bulba, swears to eventually regain his homeland....even if it takes many years.

Years pass. Bulba has two sons and his vision is that they become super manly-men...and with them they can take on the Poles once again. But in the meantime, he sends his two sons (now young men) to study at the university in Kiev....which is run by the Poles. All Andrei learns there is that the Cossacks are second-class and he takes a lot of beatings because of this. He also inexplicably falls in love with a Polish woman who he barely knows...and this is a major weakness in the film. This Romeo & Juliet sort of pairing made no sense...especially late in the movie when Andrei sacrifices everything for this woman he barely knows.

The movie was filmed primarily in Argentina...with Gauchos filling in for Cossacks. It's huge in scope--with armies and adventure. But at the same time, it is filled with macho posturing and tepid scenes which left me feeling a bit bored. Some of this is because you never really felt that vested in the characters. Overall, grand to look at and with a fabulous musical score, but also filled with forgettable characters and some plot elements that really never made much sense....especially at the inexplicable ending.

By the way, in a really creepy bit of casting, Curtis' love interest was played by a 16 year-old, Christine Kaufmann. As for Curtis, he was in his mid-30s and married. Two years later, Curtis married this woman after obtaining a divorce from his wife, Janet Leigh.

Great battle scenes, totally predictable script about Cossack fight for independence.

[bullett-3 · 4/10 · 26 February 2000]

A Romeo and Juliet plot wherein Tony Curtis falls in love with a Polish princess on first sight. He later betrays father, brother, friends, and his homeland, because he had one date with the princess. Well, O.K. From the first moment that we see the princess we know exactly where we are going. Needless to say the most important thing in the fathers life is driving the Poles from 16th Century Ukraine. And here the son betrays all, and runs off with a polish princess. Yul Bryner is Taras Bulba , a pure warrior Cossack. He loves his Steppes, his sons, his friends, his horse, his sword, and his wife. In that order. Of course Yul overacts but given what he is supposed to be, well who can blame him. And after all who else could have played this part.But really,Tony Curtis as a 16th century Cossck. Well O.K.,but with the perfect hairdo, perfect teeth, and perfect blue eyes......it just doesnt seem as if Tony has spent much time mowing his front lawn, let alone invading, raping, and pillaging much of Eastern Europe. The battle scenes are wonderful, and we get the full effect of cavalry battles. They are really quite rousing. They however are the only things that save this film. As such I give this film a SEVEN.

Amazing such a subject made by Hollywood!

[necrodemion · 8/10 · 11 June 2001]

That this classic novel by Gogol about the legendary Ukrainian cossack hero could have been made into a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster, and that this was done at the very height of the cold war seems unbelievable today.

While the film is dated a bit by the kitschy love story involving Tony Curtis' character, Yul Brynner is perfect in his role which seems one of those he was born to play.

A colourful and spectacular historical epic in the best of the then-dying old Hollywood tradition, this is probably the only exposure that the American public at large has to Ukrainian history, and in this alone it is a valuable work. But the film manages to succeed on the entertainment level as well, and I recommend it to all fans of the good ol' Hollywood studio historical drama.

lots of horses

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 22 July 2020]

It's early 16th century. The Ottoman Empire is spreading across the world. On the frontiers of Poland, they are threatening to conquer the Steppes. After defeating the Turks, the Poles turn on their allies, the Cossacks. Cossack colonel Taras Bulba (Yul Brynner) vows revenge on the Poles no matter how long it takes. Years later, he sends his sons, Andrei (Tony Curtis) and Ostap, to study in Kiev under the Poles so that they could finally beat them in battle. Andrei falls for governor's daughter Natalia Dubrov.

I like Yul Brynner in this. He's good at this type of character. On the other hand, Tony Curtis may be doing his role correctly but I don't like it. It feels overwrought and not in a good way like Brynner. I like the movie more whenever Brynner is involved. Also, it has lots of horses and some good action. It's an adaptation of a celebrated fictional novel and a so-so movie.

Book is much better than this film

[esteban1747 · 5/10 · 22 September 2003]

So many years have passed when I read Taras Bulba in Russian. This was by the way the first Gogol's novel I read, but I always enjoyed this author. Gogol wrote most of his novels in Russian and some others in Ucranian languages, and this Bulba was not Russian as many people believe, instead he was Ucranian Cosack. The name Taras was popular in Ucraine but not in Russia, and the war between greek-orthodox Ucranian and Belorrussian with catholic Poles was nearly eternal. That's why these countries decided to unite themselves so many centuries ago with also orthodox Russia while Poland always looked for partnership with Lithuania. The main differences were religious, and only when the dangerous Turks attacked them you could find Poles fighting together with Khokhols (Ucranian people). In my opinion this epic film of Taras Bulba is a bit vulgar and not reflecting well the differences between slav people (Poles were slavs too). In the film it seems that Cosacks attacked Poles because they just wanted to do it, and no mention of invasiveness of Poles at that time in the name of Catholic Church. The sudden return of Bulba's sons from Kiev was a pure invention. They both finished well Polish school, and Taras knew the advantages of educating them there, but certainly Andrei felt in love with Natasha, and finally betrayed his father and his people. Taras was tough with himself and his family, but was also intelligent and educated, far to be a wild person as it is shown in the film. The film shows too many scenes of drinking and heavily eating by cosacks, it is impossible to deny that they did it heavily but it was more civilized, and far to be as wild as shown here. May be in the future a more successful remake can be done, more similar to the original Gogol's version.

How to rule the world

[rob-1437 · 12 March 2006]

I have not seen Taras Bulba for many years and just came online to try and buy a copy. No mention of it at all on Amazon, as if it had never existed. No-one could ever forget the contest as the horses jump the gradually widening ravine, and the defeat in victory for the young Andrei (Tony Curtis) as the old warrior dies. When my wife married me nearly 20 years ago she reminded me of the times I had quoted the polish commander, excuse me if it is not quite accurate but it went something like this. "If we could harness the power of love we could rule the world" So many have tried other ways but still only the power of love will overcome all in the end.

Long Overshadowed Epic now remembered for its music score

[Maestro-15 · 6/10 · 21 September 2009]

Released in 1962 a week after Lawrence Of Arabia, Taras Bulba, was not a thinking man's epic like Lawrence or any of the other epics of the time, such as Ben-Hur, Spartacus, El Cid, King Of Kings – it was more of a grand adventure yarn and critics and audiences of the time were just not that interested, despite the film having two big stars in Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis, and a director, J. Lee Thompson, who'd just come off a huge smash hit with The Guns Of Navarone. What Taras Bulba did have was an absolutely brilliant score by the great Franz Waxman.

For me the Best Sequence in the film is the Ride to Dubno where the various Cossack legions meet up with each other in long extended gallop march sequence.

This film is largely overlooked now despite some broadcasts on TCM where I had the privilege of seeing it for the first time. It appears to be a throwback to that epic film-making style in the 1950s and 1960s but appears to be a bit truncated in its length to retell the Gogol story. The subplot love story between Andrei (Tony Curtis) and Christine Kaufmann is uninspired to say the least. The one interesting fact to note is that Tony Curtis married Christine Kaufmann after meeting her on this film.

"Bring out your dead!"

[scheelj · 6/10 · 20 November 2012]

See it – The ending ruined this one for me, which is a shame because it is a unique film. It's a sword and sandals movie about the Cossacks in the Baltic War, and stars Yul Brynner in the role that he was quite literally "born to play" (being Russian-born). There are sweeping battle scenes with hundreds of extras, and even a few swashbuckling sword fights. Unfortunately, Tony Curtis (as Brynner's son) hogs most of the scenes, and the battles are too brief. Every time a battle looks like it's about to get good, it will abruptly end. Honestly, the main reason I'd even see this movie is to watch the scene that undoubtedly was stolen by Monty Python's Holy Grail when the guy's pushing a cart yelling "Bring out your dead!" 3 action rating.

The part of the Ukraine will be played by Argentina

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 7 March 2015]

"Taras Bulba" dates from the early sixties, at the height of the popularity of the epic film. Most of the epics of the fifties and sixties were based on either Classical antiquity or the Bible, but occasionally Hollywood could turn to subject matter less familiar to Western audiences, in this case to a novel by the Ukrainian writer Nikolai Gogol. (Gogol was born in the Ukraine, although he wrote in Russian).

The story is set in the seventeenth century, at a time when the Ukraine was under Polish domination. The title character, Taras Bulba, is the leader of a Cossack clan on the steppes. The Cossacks are Polish subjects, and an important source of manpower for the Polish Army, but are humiliated and treated as little more than barbarians by their overlords. The film deals with the relationship between Taras and his sons, Andrei and Ostap. He sends the two young men to the university in Kiev, at this time a Polish city, to obtain an education, but they learn little except how deeply the Poles despise them. Andrei does, however, fall in love with Natalia, an aristocratic Polish lady, and in future Andrei's loyalties are split between his father's cause and his feelings for Natalia. These divided loyalties will come to the fore when a Cossack army besieges the Polish-held fortress of Dubno and Andrei learns that Natalia is present inside the city.

The storyline is a complicated, and occasionally confusing, one, and although both Yul Brynner as Taras and Tony Curtis as Andrei play their roles with aplomb, in neither case is this really their greatest performance. The Austrian-born Christine Kaufmann as Natalia looks stunning, but does not display any great charisma and it is clear why she did not become a major star in the English-language cinema, although she was well-known in Germany and Austria. (She did, however, go on to become the second Mrs Tony Curtis, following his divorce from Janet Leigh).

The film was directed by the British-born J. Lee Thompson. During his British period of the fifties, Thompson mostly worked in black-and-white and specialised in small-scale social-realist dramas, films noirs and war films like "Woman in a Dressing Gown", "Yield to the Night", "Tiger Bay" and "Ice-Cold in Alex". Moving to Hollywood seems to have given him the chance to work on a larger canvas; his next film after this one was to be "Kings of the Sun", another large-scale epic also starring Brynner.

The main attraction of the film today lies in its visual appeal and in its action sequences. The Ukrainian steppes seemed like the ideal setting for sweeping photography and shots of massed cavalry thundering across the plains, although at the height of the Cold War the film could not actually be shot there. Instead, the Argentine pampas stood in for the Ukraine. The action scenes are well staged, notably the opening and closing battles and the scene when Andrei and a man who has accused him of cowardice have to jump across a chasm on horseback until one of them falls in. "Taras Bulba" may the sort of film they don't make any more, and we may be none the worse off for that fact, but we can still enjoy watching it when there is nothing else to do on a wet weekend. 6/10

Some goofs. The King of Poland is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty". No Polish King ever used this title, which would only be used by an Emperor. In the film the Polish flag is a gold eagle on a green field. In reality the Polish eagle has always been white on a red field.

Still great fun but with technical flaws...

[Gunn · 7/10 · 30 March 2008]

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.

They don't make 'em like this anymore!

[azcowboysingr · 9/10 · 27 August 2006]

I first saw Taras Bulba when it was a theatrical release, & then again on TV once...it is one of those films that, once seen, can never be forgotten. From the thrilling theme music to the haunting love score, the musical director proved himself the equal of MGM's Korngold. The visual impact of the sweeping granduer of the Argentine pampas (substituting for the Russian Steppes...remember, this film was made back when the Communists would not allow Americans behind the Iron Curtain to make "decadent Capitalist" movies). To my dying day, I will never forget those scenes of thousands of Cossacks (no CGI...it hadn't been invented yet...there really were 1,000's of actors on horseback!) charging at full gallop, brandishing cavalry sabers & yelling "ZAPAROSTI!" at the top of their lungs.

Tony Curtis would not have been my first choice to cast as the son of a Cossack Chieftain (a fine actor but way too skinny). Ahhh...but Yul Brynner...what a magnificent stroke of casting genius! If Brynner wasn't a real Gypsy Prince, he should've been. The scene in which Taras must kill his own son for betraying the Cossack Brotherhood to the enemy over the love of a woman is one of the most powerful and sobering on film.

The dialogue, while perhaps a bit "corny" to modern teenagers, strikes an honest chord with those of us who grew up believing that honor & courage are still something that men should strive to protect...with their lives if necessary. When one of the drunken Cossacks calls Curtis' character "a coward", precipitating a deadly horse race across a huge crevasse that means certain death to one of them, Brynner's wife begs Taras to call off the contest, saying "It was only a word!" Brynner calmly (and a bit sadly) replies, "Some words are worth dying over."

All in all, I rate this film 9 out of 10. If it has one flaw, it would be expecting the audience to believe that a wimpy little guy like Tony Curtis could successfully compete in a contest of strength with someone as muscular & solidly built as Yul Brynner. That part really needed someone like Steve Reeves, or Gordon Scott...even Aldo Ray would've been a better choice as Taras' son. If you haven't seen this classic movie, I urge you to do so as soon as possible...even on late night TV if necessary, commercials & all.

Great scenes

[nekengren-2 · 7/10 · 13 July 2010]

This movie was quite interesting from the history angle and also had me in anticipation for several of the scenes.

Best scenes: --The joining of Cossack brigades as they join forces to attack the Poles. Great cavalry spectacle in a great scenic setting. --The "dual" between Tony Curtis and the big Cossack where they both have to jump the gorge on horse until someone dies. --The Polish battle around the castle near the end.

Predictable Script: --The Tony Curtis love angle with the Polish nobility woman.

Unpredictable: The punch line between Tony and Yul. nuff said.

Worth watching for its shedding light on the world of the steppes.

[pronker · 5/10 · 8 November 2018]

Filmed in Argentina, Taras Bulba suffices to show broad expanses just made for horsemanship, which we see plenty of. It's been years since I've ridden, but I remember the thrill of feeling horseflesh respond powerfully to my direction, and that's worth the watch.

Now for particulars: Brynner fills the bill for patriotic, charismatic leaders born to the Cossack way of life; Curtis and Lopez are okay in their roles, though Lopez hadn't enough to do, IMHO; Kaufmann served as pretty, elegant love interest with her elevated status as noblewoman meaning that Curtis just couldn't resist idealizing her and eventually giving up his existence for her in a convoluted way. The other Cossacks served pretty interesting roles as Ousted Leader dying ignobly, stupid Outspoken, Drunken Partygoer dying for bravura without a single scream as his life ended, and Woman Who Stands By Her Man (Mrs. Bulba) not dying, though maybe she wanted to after learning her husband killed her son.

Finally, I liked the horsemanship most in this movie, The scenes of gathering clans resonated, I found no fault with the castle backdrop (matte work? I guess so.) and any costuming accuracy errors. The politics I could ignore in a heartbeat, because, well, horses.

Flawed, But Profound Spectacle

[Bob-45 · 8/10 · 20 February 2006]

How does one choose between the life of a person you love and your father, your family, your nation? The moral dilemma presented in "Taras Bulba" would be a tough sell in any era, but particularly in "last year of the 50s" ("American Graffitti"). Producer Ben Hecht, screenwriter and director J. Lee Thompson pull no punches. However, one can only wonder how great a film "Taras Bulba" would have been if directed by, say, David Lean and the love story expanded. As it stands, the movie is wildly uneven. The Kiev sequences tend to bog down the movie; while, at the same time the romantic scenes play too quickly for dramatic impact. Curtis' well publicized adulterous affair with actress Christine Kaufman certainly didn't help box office; and, it seems the screen careers of both Curtis and Yul Brynner were permanently damaged, as both went into decline after "Taras Bulba". Sad and ironical, since Curtis recently revealed he was legally separated from wife Janet Leigh for over a year before embarking on "Taras Bulba" (and his liaison with Kaufman); and, in any event, adulterous marriage breakups certainly didn't hurt Liz Taylor. It's all a pity, because "Taras Bulba" is an exciting, profound movie, the kind we are most used to seeing recently from China ("Hero," "House of Flying Daggers," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon").

Director J. Lee Thompson ("The Guns of Navarone") makes excellent use of the widescreen process, filling the entire frame with action. I say this, seeing only the full screen version, since it is clear from what remains there was plenty to fill the screen, while key action was wisely staged center screen.

Curtis is effective in the difficult role of Andre, Taras Bulba's son. However, Yul Brynner is phenomenal as Taras Bulba. Too bad he's not on screen more. Christine Kaufman is decorative, but her scenes with Curtis are too meager to be truly effective.

One hopes a widescreen DVD soon becomes available; or, at least, Turner or ENCORE ACTION shows the movie in letterbox. The version I previewed on FLIX showed some signs of damage. Flawed or not, "Taras Bulba" is well worth an "8" on my scale of 10.

back in the day... in old Ukraine

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 14 September 2020]

Period piece. in old Ukraine ( The actual events took place in the 16th Century.) the workers are under seige from both the overlords and the invading Turks. Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis are father and son, always fighting for their freedom. first, the father Taras teams up with the overlords to fight the poles. suddenly, son Andrei is grown up, and must now study, before he needs to fight the poles again. we witness the whipping Andrei takes (to learn civilized ways??) and begins his studies. and falls for the beautiful Natalia, daughter of a rich and powerful family. this one is a little extra soapy, sudsy, but gets the story across. can't say too much... don't want to give away any plot points. very loosely based on history. the challenge or "duel" that Andrei and another cossack have, right at the one hour mark, seems to be more based on the energy and skill of the horses than of the men! and having drunks walk a plank over a bear pit. did they really do that? Brynner had already won his oscar for King and I. interesting trivia... Curtis married Christine Kaufmann, right after she turned 18. and he was about 37. she was 17 when they met on the set. Directed by Lee Thompson. he had just done Guns of Navarone (oscar!) and Cape Fear. Story by Nikolai Gogol, in the 1800s. the film was nominated for best music. two hours. drinking and fighting. it's okay.

So Bad It's Almost Good

[wforstchen · 2/10 · 27 March 2005]

Like a couple of other reviewers I remember seeing this film as a kid at a riotous Saturday matinée. For weeks afterwards we played cossacks, even found a ravine in a landfill where I lived in NJ to play out one of the scenes. We were lured into seeing it with a great "trailer" of cossacks running riot, fighting, horses galloping about. It looked cool. The absolutely wretched love story that took over most of the film almost triggered a riot in the theater that day.

This is one of those epics films that I like to describe as "so bad it's almost good." The writing is awful, the so called epic scenes tend to be ridiculous, a couple of thousand extras might have helped, and of course a overly mushy love story is thrown in, complete to the soft focus scenes. (David Lean could pull off the soft focus over and over in Zhivago but whoever directed this turkey simply made them laughable.) And yet. . . I just love Yul. He looks the part of a cossack and he plays the part. Tony, in contrast is absurd. I guess he just couldn't shave his head to the traditional cossack style so it get's explained away as adopting the "Polish" style. The parties though, and the riding around. What a kick. When I saw this film again in grad school with my Polish girl friend at my side, it triggered our first real fight. I roared over the line, "put your trust in the sword and the sword in the Pole," (Freud would have loved that one!) and she just freaked. She then announced she would enjoy attending the party as it unfolded on my dorm room TV, a thought I found appealing in regards to her, but I made a comment that I would be hung before I'd let my as yet hypothetical daughter go to one. That really set the girl friend off with accusations of sexism.

In fact this movie and "The Vikings" finally inspired us to stage a "barbarian party," a riotous success which is still legend with our friends, I won't go into the details but it was great, everyone in costume, food and drinking horns filled with beer flying about, etc.

But back to the film. The book is remarkable, in fact when I use to teach Russian history it was required reading. It appealed to me not only as the great Ukranian epic but the sci fi author as well, a model actually for the great heroic epic fantasies of Howard, Lamb, DeCamp and others. In contrast the film could actually be a case study in how Hollywood can turn an epic book into smush, and then lure kids into seeing it with a great trailer of a bunch of guys riding around.

And definitely do not miss Yul singing the "Cossack song," absolutely hysterical. If you can dig up a few Ukranian friends to sit with you, do so, and watch them go berserk! It would be like their making a movie in Kiev about George Washington and casting Danny DeVito in the lead, building a couple of log cabins out in the middle of the real Ukranian steppes (and I've been there) and saying its Valley Forge.

And yet, if it ran again tonight at midnight, I know I'd watch it. . .the same way I'd watch a train wreck.

A final note. Tony was insane. Janet Leigh was ten times (dare I say it?) "the babe" when compared to his co-star in this film whom he later married.