3/5 Could have been truer to Gogol's classic book
  by Kosto Barry Granlund (New York, NY)
Good old Yul ( actually a Ukrainian who never admitted his heritage and instead preferred to offer the public various absurd explanations of his ancestry ) is perfect for this role and its no wonder that this project was so important to him in so many ways. The Cossacks were among the world's most outstanding warriors. They offered unrelenting and valorious battle to the Ottoman Turks, Mongol Tartars, and invading Poles while facing the overwhelming numbers of these enemy forces. History must recognize the Cossack as the most outstanding horseman any culture ever produced. A Cossack could slice an enemy in half with a single blow from his sword arm. He fought with halberd, pike, mace, warclub, spear, and sword. His courage in the face of superior enemy numbers was unquestionable and a matter of historic record. Such were those rustic, scalp-locked riders of the Ukrainian Steppes!
This movie is good, but that's all. Hollywood ruined it - PERIOD ! Considering WHO the people were who ran studios in those days, its no surprise either. At least the script could have followed the story Nicholi Gogol wrote in which Taras Bulba meets his end as a Polish captive who is burned at the stake. This would have been an ending that would have allowed Yul's macho persona to really electrify the screen since Gogol's character is defiant and haughty toward his enemies even as the flames licked at his legs! Instead this movie offers the viewer an ending that is mush! A pathetic excuse of a finale in which the Cossacks become humane toward enemies who had been utterly inhuman toward them for decades! Absurd and sickening! However, some of the battle scenes are worth watching just in themselves.
Anyway, it could have been better, but at least its something in terms of Medieval Eastern European history on film.

3/5 Taras Bulba
  by D. Hall
I first saw this when I was ten years old. I was at home one day, sick with the flu, watching TV. This movie came on and I loved it! I fell in love with Tony Curtis, and I thought this movie was SO ROMANTIC! That beautiful music played over and over in my head for a long time! I was furious with Yul Brynner for shooting Tony!!! I was upset for weeks that Tony had to die like that! I watched it again the other day for the first time in forty years....All I can say is...in my defense, the first time I saw it, I was a silly, romantic kid, and obviously out of my head with fever or SOMETHING! The scenery in the film is wonderful...the music is lovely...But let's just say, it did not do for me what it did when I was ten!
I am glad I bought it, though, and watched it again...just to relive a little part of my childhood. I still like Tony! Say what you will about him...he WAS gorgeous!


5/5 Taras Bulba
  by Robert T. Lukomski (Milwaukee, WI, USA)
Both Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner put in a great acting performance in this action film. Very interesting plot, plenty of villains and heroes and great action scenes. Rolling landscape and very cool costumes! This is considered to be a classic with good reason. This gets a strong recommendation for my money.

5/5 Taras Bulba on DVD at last!!
  by Eileen Allanah (Sunshine Bay Australia)
Taras Bulba
For years, my brother & I would phone each other each time this classic epic movie aired on TV, to make sure that we didn't miss out on seeing it. I am so excited to finally have it on DVD! An all-time favourite - drama, betrayal, laughter, tears, love - a father for his sons, a man & a woman for each other, men for their country.

3/5 MOVIE DELIVERY
  by Edward Escudero
THE MOVIE WAS OK BUT WHY DID I PAY FOR EXPEDITED DELIVERY AND STILL HAVE THE PRODUCT LATE (AFTER FATHERS DAY) WHEN I COULD HAVE JUST LEFT IT AT THE LOW DELIVERY RATE AND RECIEVED IT AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME?? NOT REAL COST EFFECTIVE...