Taglines: A love story of flesh and fire.
Taras Bulba movie storyline. A “Romeo and Juliet” story that takes place in the late 16c. Ukraine. Taras has settled into comfortable farm life after years of adventures and swashbuckling with his cossack companions. Though not wealthy, he is able to send his son Andrei away to a Polish school.
At this time the Poles are overlords of Ukraine and the origin of the cossacks is struggle of the Ukrainian serfs to free themselves and their land of Polish domination. Toward this end Taras hopes that his son will be educated in the ways of the enemy. Instead, Andrei falls in love with the daughter of a Polish nobleman, setting the stage for a clash between love, family honor, and a struggle for national identity.
Taras Bulba is a 1962 American Color by Deluxe in Eastmancolor adventure film loosely based on Nikolai Gogol’s novel Taras Bulba, starring Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson. The story line of the film is considerably different from that of Gogol’s novel, although it is closer to his expanded 1842 (pro-Russian Imperial) edition than his original (pro-Ukrainian) version of 1835.
About Shooting and Soundtrack
Filming began in Argentina on 10 October 1961. The unit was based in the town of Salta. The Argentine shoot went until the end of the year then shooting took place in Hollywood until late February. Thompson called Brynner “an open air actor who needs a big expanse, a big tour de force. He is a marvelous Taras and a fine actor, but should never play comedy.” The director also admired Curtis saying “he has really fought and is so eager and he has never stopped working. His is a very romantic part but not as flashy as Yul’s.”
The score was composed by Franz Waxman, and film composer Bernard Hermann considered it one of the best scores ever written. It is now available on a CD from the City of Prague Philharmonic. The score also serves as the theme tune to morning news programs Melo Del Prado sa Super Radyo DZBB, Buena Manong Balita, Super Radyo Nationwide & Saksi sa Dobol B, aired on the radio station DZBB in the Philippines.
At the 35th Academy Awards, the score was also nominated for Best Music, Score – Substantially Original but lost to Lawrence of Arabia (Maurice Jarre).
Taras Bulba (1962)
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Tony Curtis, Yul Brynner, Christine Kaufmann, Sam Wanamaker, Brad Dexter, Guy Rolfe, Perry Lopez, George Macready, Ilka Windish, Vladimir Sokoloff, Abraham Sofaer, Vitina Marcus
Screenplay by: Waldo Salt, Karl Tunberg
Production Design by:
Cinematography by: Joe MacDonald
Film Editing by: Folmar Blangsted, Gene Milford, William Reynolds, Eda Warren
Costume Design by: Norma Koch
Set Decoration by: William F. Calvert
Art Direction by: Edward Carrere
Music by: Franz Waxman
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: United Artists
Release Date: December 19, 1962 (Chicago), December 25, 1962 (New York City), December 26, 1962 (Los Angeles)
Visits: 175