One of my all time favorites.

one of my absolute favorites!

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Bogdan Stupka. in fight to create a credible Taras. a literary gem. who becomes a political tool. that is all. the film has a lot of sins but the basic problem is the ambition to create a Hollywood blockbuster as support for the Kremlin 's interest. the fragile beauty of the book is lost. the Kozaks becomes Russian puppets. the Pole society is victim of a Manicheism who not convince and not impress. the entire story becomes an aggressive political speech. sure, many historical films from the East Europe are illustrations of the same recipes. but under the Communism regime. and the delicate problem is to transform Ukraine in a part of Russia, to use special effects for ignore the senses of book, to destroy a noble idea for a not real decent result. short, a Russian story. full of nationalism. and not convincing . useful for a kind of public . and not more that.

Unfortunately, this version of the great classic does not do it great justice. Bohdan Stupka's great performance does not elicit much response in either Vladimir Vdovichenkov as the brave Ostap or Igor Petrenko as the tragically star-struck Andrii. Partly, this looks like a poor script as the lines follow just too closely the original text of Gogol. Partly, this goes to the director's focus which was far more on the settings than dialogues, except when delivering propaganda one-liners a la Eisenstein or Dovzhenko. Overall, this version of Taras Bulba seems just too much of an agitprop forthe new Cossack village creed of militant Russian patriotism and pride in martial traditions of the legendary steppe marauders which finds its natural outlet in heavy drinking and voting loyalty to Yedinaya Rossija.

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

This "film" is the essence and the face of today's cinematograph in Russia. It has all of symptoms of it's serious illness. Let me enumerate some of it.First - film is made by government order. In this specific case it has to show Russian crowd that Poland is Enemy and that Ukraine belongs to Russia. But it's made so rudely and primitive that polish characters even win our sympathy against "kassaks".Second - budget of this film is enormous while independent cinema doesn't have ANY state support and has no small chance to develop.Third - Vladimir Bortko, director of "Taras Bulba" is one of that previously talented soviet artists who mutated under the new power and lost everything what they had for what we loved them (Bortko made "Heart of a Dog" in 1988 by Bulgakov's story). Another brightest example of such a mutant - Nikita Mikhalkov, the main monster of "new Russian cinema".Fourth and last - work of every member of film crew is absolutely weak. Awful editing, feeble script, fast-food directing, horrific two-melodies soundtrack made by extinct pop-star Igor Kornelyuk, hysterical special effects with blood made by Photoshop or Paint redactor, endless and cheerless battle scenes (under the rain with clear sky) and so on...This is not just a disappointment, this is a real condition of Russian cinematograph. And it will not change until the same people from ruling party leave their chairs.