Tarass Boulba: A Dusty Epic That Feels Its Age

Is it worth your time?

If you like black-and-white dramas where people shout their motivations from horseback, maybe. If you need a movie that moves faster than a tired pack mule, skip this. It’s strictly for the kind of person who enjoys seeing how cinema used to try to build a spectacle without digital effects. It’s definitely not for anyone who gets impatient when the plot stops for three minutes to show a horse running.

Harry Baur is just huge here. I don't mean he's a big guy, though he is. I mean his screen presence is like a brick wall. He plays the Cossack chief like he’s personally offended by the existence of Poland. Every time he glares, you just know somebody is about to have a bad day.

The whole thing feels a bit like a stage play that someone accidentally dragged outdoors. The sets have that painted-backdrop look that I actually kind of dig. It doesn't look real, but it feels like a memory of something real.

I found myself zoning out during the dialogue scenes, but the second they start charging at each other, the energy shifts. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s chaotic in a way that feels honest. Unlike the polished stuff in The Man in Possession, this movie is covered in dirt and grit.

Some random notes I scribbled:

• The mustaches in this movie are truly a feat of engineering. I don't know how they stay attached during a gallop.
• There is a scene with a gate that lasts way longer than it should. It’s almost funny how much emphasis is put on a wooden fence.
• The music is incredibly bossy. It tells you exactly how to feel every single second.
• I’m not entirely sure why the son is so head-over-heels. The romance feels like it was added because the script needed a reason to break hearts, not because the characters actually like each other.

It’s funny to think about how this compares to something like College. Both deal with guys trying to prove themselves, but one is all slapstick and the other is all "I will burn this city down for my honor." I prefer the slapstick, honestly.

The pacing is a total nightmare, though. It crawls. Then it sprints. Then it stops to take a nap. You can really tell they were struggling to cram a massive book into a reasonable runtime. Sometimes you just have to admire the attempt, even when it lands face-first in the mud.

Ultimately, it’s a relic. It’s not a masterpiece, but it has a weird, stubborn soul. You’ll probably forget it by tomorrow, but for two hours, you’re stuck in the mud with these angry men and their very fancy hats. 🐎