In our country, a passionate love for the classics of Russian literature has the ability to wake up as we approach a particular anniversary. We all remember, for example, an ambitious campaign to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of AS Pushkin. But really who could never complain about the lack of attention to his creativity, it's NV Gogol, most probably, often ekraniziruemy classic in our country.

And the film Vladimir Bortko "Taras Bulba" product of a self-sufficient, not created in the "Jubilee fever" - the original movies for showing planned last fall, but for reasons of cultural solidarity release date has been moved closer to the April 1, the birthday of the great Nikolai .

Surprisingly, but the current film is the first (!!!) the adaptation of "Taras Bulba" in our cinema. Prior to this story from the life of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks were transferred to film all and sundry: Germans, French, Americans, Mexicans ... A little more, and we have ahead, probably Japanese, Indians, Eskimos and the native population of Australia. But justice still prevailed, and the Russian moviegoer saw something about which I read in the distant (and for someone and not so distant) school days at literature lessons under the supervision of a strict Maria Ivanovna and Elena Leonidovna.

We went to the filming, they say, in a big way, the benefit of this was in 2007, when if anyone knew of an impending global crisis, no one talked about it. Therefore, the money in the movie business this time were carried out solid, not like today's, producers have identified Vladimir Bortko as many as 25 million dollars, so it was not necessary to save. Large-scale survey, including numerous battle scenes (the siege and storming of a stone fortress, counter attack riders melee), were carried out on the territory of the three countries (Russia, Ukraine, Poland). And in the crowd scenes at the same time involved more than 1,000 participants, of which at least 100 were professional stunt. About that were sewn hundreds of historical costumes, made by medieval models of military armor and weapons, and to say once again not worth it.

However, a big budget is not always a guarantee of good creative result. But we were lucky - Vladimir Bortko has once again confirmed his reputation as a director who loves and, most importantly, knows how to make films based on the works of classical Russian literature, his adaptation of "The Idiot" and "The Master and Margarita" all of us, I think, remember well.

Although, of course, not without misunderstandings. First and foremost, a misunderstanding - this is music for the film, written by the notorious Igor Kornelyuk. No doubt, in the asset at the end of the megahit Korneliuk have 80 (the one in which he mentally screamed about the "rain" and "wait") and breaks the heart and soul of a musical theme to the TV series "Gangster Petersburg". But, as experience has shown, Igor Kornelyuk in any case can not write music to large-scale historical and, in the best sense of the word, pathetic film. He was such nonsense that the scenes at successful soundtrack would look almost majestic look almost banal, almost anything, almost comical. Creek spectator soul - do not allow more than Korneliuk to writing music for the movies!

Against the background of musical nightmare all other claims seem insignificant. Well, let's say, a very specific sense of humor from the creators of the picture, if they decided to invite Mikhail Boyarsky on the role of swashbuckling Zaporozhye Cossacks. It can be seen with the naked eye that Boyarsky and wanted to screw up something like "a thousand devils! "," Cursed the guards of Cardinal! "Or sing about the shabby saddle.

In general, the cast has pleased the soul professional (Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Magdalena Mielcarz) and talented (Bohdan Stupka, Igor Petrenko, Sergey Dreyden) work. Mortar again demonstrated the remarkable power of his talent, and Petrenko again lucky with a complex and interesting classical manner. Yes, and the only one in the movie scene that really grabs the heart and squeezes out a tear, played the two actors. It's about meeting Bulba with his son, have passed for love in a beautiful Panne on the side of the Poles, ending sacramental "I gave birth to you, I'll kill you."

Besides, the narrative did not disappoint. With all due reverence for the author's text, with all the love of the genius of Gogol's prose, with all due diligence to tell the story the way I wanted to tell her the writer, in the film there is a distinct and attempt to give their vision of "Taras Bulba". And this attempt should recognize the most successful. For example, a clear directorial achievement is that the film is not just no explicit condemnation Bulba youngest son, Andrew (as there is no explicit condemnation of this, and in the story), and made more profound attempt to understand him, his motives, his soul.

Of course, "Taras Bulba" will be a lot of enemies. Let's say, for sure there are those who now deem too cheap popular, too tailored to the political situation, containing too much praise strong Orthodox Russia. But for pity's sake, it's still a hair's breadth of Gogol! You're not going to do from Homer's "Iliad" comedy; similarly, if you honestly ekraniziruete story, which is impregnated with patriotism, of patriotism is not going anywhere.

However, the possibility of such disputes belong to the category of disputes about taste, and these quarrels tend never no end, so do not make sense. Much more importantly, the film Vladimir Bortko, undoubtedly, will cause (certificate - has already caused) interest in the novel "Taras Bulba". Agree, it's not a bad interest ...

  Alexander Babitsky