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Legendary Russian fantasy filmmaker Aleksandr Ptushko's sweeping, visual F/X- filled epic ILYA MUROMETS (THE SWORD & THE DRAGON) is one of his most enchanting achievements: a stunning Cinemascope ballad of heroic medieval knights, ruthless Tugar invaders, wind demons and three-headed fire-breathing dragons, all set against a mythic landscape of pastoral, unspoiled Russia. Based on one of the most famous byliny (oral epics) in Old Russian culture, the film stars Boris Andreyev as the bogatyr (knight) Ilya, waging a decades-long battle against the Tugars who threaten his homeland, kidnap his wife and raise his own son to fight against him.

Description

Based on the Finnish national epic "Kalevala," director Aleksandr Ptushko's ravishing, mystical fantasy tells the story of a sinister witch Louhi (Anna Orochko) who covets the Sampo, a magical, rainbow-colored mill that can produce endless salt, grain, and gold. When the hero Lemminkäinen (Andris Oshin) attempts to stop her, Louhi steals the sun, plunging the world into eternal darkness. A Finnish/Soviet co-production and shot like its predecessor ILYA MUROMETS in gorgeous CinemaScope, SAMPO features some of Ptushko's most surreal and fantastical imagery: a glowing red horse plowing a field of vipers; a boat of fire with a stag's head; a weeping mother literally walking across the sea to find her lost son. With its witch's incantations and repeated scenes of forging magical items – "Give me fire for the furnace from the nave of the sky!" – there is a Macbeth-like occult force to the film as well, underscored by the raging blue-gray seas and rock-strewn landscapes. Bonus Features: 1. Audio commentary track by Steve Bissette 2 Russian Fantastika Part Two by Alan Upchurch 3. English Closed Captioning

Description

Larissa Golubkina, Oleg Vidov, Vladimir Andreyev and Kseniya Ryabinkina star in this Russian fairy tale based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin. The story centers on Tsar Saltan, who is trying to fix his obliterated family life. Along the way he gets involved in various adventures with Tsarevich Guidon, the 33 knights led by Chernomor, and the gorgeous but bewitched Tsarevna Swan. 87 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: Russian; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; featurettes; more. In Russian with English subtitles.