Customer Reviews

Dersu Uzala (Widescreen) [Import]

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Kino once again takes a great film and gives it the hatchet treatment. In fairness, I suppose that Kino puts out films that aren't likely to have the popular appeal (and price tags) of those issued by Criterion. But that's no excuse for taking non-anamorphic transfers of 'Scope films from lousy prints. At least they didn't put in hard subs this time.

I agree with the reviewers who say that this is a great movie but a very poorly made DVD. I wish they had done a better job.

Dersu is one of my favorite films of one of my favorite directors. What a shame it did not get an adaquate treatment on DVD. The pictorial quality is inferior awful and disgusting. If You love this film don't buy this product.

1902: Arseniev (Yuri Solomin), a czarist officer and his men exploit and map the Usuri-region. The gigantic pine-forests of the Taiga evoke visions of the Walpurgis-night. Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk) sits down at their camp-fire and smokes his pipe. The old man who lost his wife and children during a smallpox-epidemic lives in the mountains without permanent refuge and hunts for the stag, the wild boar, the sable. He benefits from the nature, but does not exhaust it. As a matter of course he takes the lead of the expedition and shows them how to cover a roof with bark and instructs them to leave stock- rice, salt, matches - to other travelers. They learn not to squander cartridges and that an empty bottle can be valuable in the wilderness. They wade through the morass and suddenly the winter sets in. Arseniev and Dersu lose their way on the ice-covered lake Hanka and a snow-drift covers their footprints. Their race against time is perhaps the most breathtaking scene in the film: The two men cut as many blades of grass as possible in order to survive the cold night. Arseniev realizes how small man is in from of the big nature. He invites Dersu to join him ("It' comfortable in the city") but Dersu prefers his free life. He sees the men off to the train station and they agree that "He is such a good man!".

1907, spring, snow-break: Arseniev explores the Usuri-region again. Three months later a vast territory has been mapped, but the task would be carried through quicker with Dersu's help. Arseniev looks out for his old friend. Dersu made much money with furs, but a trader disappeared with his savings...

The Taiga in summer is a jungle. "Amdar" (the tiger) follows them. They discover pitfalls with carrion. Dersu is shocked over those needless killings. He is at war with the Chunchuse who abduct women. Arseniev helps him save three of their victims who were nearly drowning, but Dersu fall in a torrential river and the rescue-operation is another absorbing (and ingenious) moment.

The turning-point in Dersu's life comes when he inadvertently kills the tiger. He becomes nervous and irritable and believes the the spirit "Kangar" will punish him. His vision becomes defective; He misses his game. "How can I live in the Taiga?". Arseniev invites him to Chaberowsk: "My house is your house". His wife welcomes Dersu and his little son worhips him, but Dersu cannot manage life in the city where water and wood cost money. He is arrested when he tries to fell a tree. He feels redundant and decides to return to the mountains. Arseniev understands his request and gives him a brand-new gun as farewell-present. A few days later he is forced to identify the body of his old friend: somebody killed Dersu - for his gun.

DERSU UZALA needs no recommendation: it won an oscar as best foreign film in 1975 and every fan of Akira Kurosawa will see it sooner or later. Centra Asia, this gigantic territory, looks awe-inspiring in itself (and bear in mind that there is no wilderness in Japan where nearly every tree has been cultivated for aesthetic reasons) and the cinematography is overwhelming - I wish I could have seen it on the big screen. What impressed me most was the high-mindedness of the performances. There is not one patronizing undertone. Deep respect for those people who live in, of, and most importantly with the nature pervades this film.

Wonderful film, one of my top ten, but this is a terrible DVD. My videotape is MUCH better. Kino must have searched for the worst possible print to transfer; every flaw is preserved and magnified. A ridiculous, cheap, cynical, hack-job on a beautiful film. How did this happen, and why won't someone with a conscience do this film DVD justice?

Let's make it clear from start : the movie is a pure masterpiece and will top rank in anyone vidéo collection. The point here is the DVD transfer which is a catastrophy. I am not a techno nut & am very tollerant when there is some quality problems here & there. But this DVD has to be a case on what can go wrong : the sound is scratchy at best, the colors are mostly saturated or are totally faded, the picture goes constantly out of focus, ... Things where so bad I checked my hardware with another DVD ! For the price this is a rip-off.

It is a beautiful movie to watch, and the friendship that develops between the captain and Dersu is touching. I hadn't seen it in many years but found it interesting that Dersu's speech patterns and lessons reminded me of Yoda. I realize that that sounds pedestrian, but I am wondering if Lucas had the same thought in mind. While the letterbox viewed on a TV is not nearly as impressive as the full screen movie experience, having the subtitles not intrude on such a beautiful film is a plus.

Just showed the film to my girlfriend. This is my fourth time watching it. I just got this movie on dvd a few months ago. Decent transfer. I'm glad they did the transfer though. Not many people know of this movie. They rather do a transfer of "American Pie" than this movie! Overall, this is a great movie. One of Kurosawa's best! I rank this movie up there with "The Seven Samurai". It's a beautiful story with great characters, beautiful sceneries, and a touching ending. It's basically in my top ten movies of all time! If you haven't seen it, check it out, be patient and the reward will come. I think that's the key. With any good foreign movie, you have to give it "patience". Let the images go through you, transform you to another time and place. That's what you get when you watch poetry at work. It's a painting; all the colors and movements form to give you the whole picture. And this movie is like that. It moves you. I promise--you'll remember it for the rest of your life!

I don't agree with the complaints about picture quality. Our copy had excellent picture and sound except for the first 30 seconds or so. The cogent subtitles were highly visible yellow below the wide screen picture. We have the "Delux Letterbox Edition". Maybe the bad picture quality was in earlier Kino releases.

The story is intriguing. I was moved to laughter, joy, and almost to tears throughout this wonderful film. The themes of aging, friendship across cultures, loyalty, and individual and societal transformation are handled with typical Kurosawa profundity, insight, and pathos. Perhaps more than any other director, Kurosawa gets the little details right, especially regarding relationships and the way a person's motivation and behavior are determined to a large degree on their history and their quest for wholeness. Dersu Uzala often reminded me of Kurosawa's early films in this regard.

The cinematography was wonderful. The Siberian wilderness was shown as a beautiful and compelling Garden of Eden, soon to be destroyed by the evils of civilization. Ironically, one of the protagonists was a surveyor, a decent and caring man whose survey was to be used to destroy the wild paradise he and Dersu traveled through.

Rent it, and then buy it. If you love Kurosawa's work, just buy it.

Kurosawa was a visionary of world cinema. Few can touch him when his imagination is at his best. 'Dersu Uzala' has mind-blowing scenes which will stay with you for life.