Saw this movie just yesterday and I remembered the book I read in high school. Book I remember vaguely, read it a long time ago, but I did like this movie, especially because of the excellent play by the main actor and the story about the Cossack lifestyle. Novel is written in the high romantic era during the boom of nationalist feelings and its well represented on the screen (although I am not so sure was there so much Tsarists love with the Cossack when many of them were escaped surfs). Cossack lifestyle is hard, based on war, plunder and raiding like Mongols or Vikings of ages past and this movie shows that life and consequences of living it - hatred by more "civilized" Poles and Turks or struggle with other nomadic raiders like Tatars. Cossacks because of that fight against everyone, are suspicious to everyone (like Jews) and are only shown to trust those of their own Orthodox faith. Actors that portrayed Cossacks are mostly good, especially Taras Bulba. By the end of the movie you really become one with him and start to understand him and his struggle against the world while he is losing more and more. Poles are well done, they have every right to hate the Cossacks with them constantly raiding their towns. Final scene when Polish colonel when he spares his daughters son is also strong, you then see the glimpse of Taras Bulba if he was on the other side. Greatest flaw in this movie are special effects, rain that falls from clear sky, "wounds" in some cases along with soundtrack that could have been done a lot better when I see how much was invested in this movie. They are so weak that look like they were done for some small budget student movie, not a blockbuster financed by the Russian government. It is clearly seen that this is a Russian propaganda movie, but a very weak one, the only time I was really moved was with the ominous Taras Bulba's last words when they were burning him alive, the rest of the Cossacks haven't managed to give that same feel. Overall, good movie, but the ridiculous failure of the special effects reduces rating greatly.

In same time, an error and a masterpiece. A film in which history is only an political instrument. Strong, hilarious and aggressive. And a movie in which every detail is explore in fantastic way. So, the result is a schizoid work. Shadows of Jirinovsky and medieval air. A fake Ukraine and romantic sticks. A huge picture and a boring manifesto. But the delicate fact is the absence of Gogol. The director, in past maker of spectacular pages of lost history, is in this sad case only organiser of a Russian propaganda show. Enthusiastic and full of good intentions, he crushes the original story. The Christmas tree is impressive; but only ornaments. The wood is far of the public. It is difficult to say if "Taras Bulba" is a disaster. The crumbs are good taste. The cake is old and strange. But the memory is more tempt by the beautiful coins and Kosacs costumes.

.... And I guess that's the problem. Unabashed patriotism is OK for some, not for others. The Zaporozhians' battles in defence of Orthodoxy, when it was being attacked on two fronts, is a story that must not be forgotten. The film is impressive in its historical detail, costumes, etc.... the music (and some of the acting) is a little melodramatic, but I think it's a fitting thing for a rousing film. The scene of cossacks writing a letter to the Ottoman Sultan (an actual event from 1675) is reminiscent of the famous Repin painting depicting it. A grittier, less glam/swashbuckling version than the Yul Brynner classic, but that's what this story needs. It will never get wide theatrical release in North America because it is too honest, and not politically correct enough. Who cares. It's in my video collection, and it is becoming a favourite quickly.

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.