_**Cossacks vs. Poles on the steppes of Ukraine (actually Argentina)**_ The film depicts Cossacks in 16th-century Ukraine rebelling against their Polish rulers. Yul Brynner portrays a robust colonel, and Tony Curtis plays his oldest son, who makes the mistake of falling for a princess from Kiev, portrayed by Christine Kaufmann. "Taras Bulba" (1962) adapts the initial portion of Nikolai Gogol’s renowned novella, which was released in 1835. Essentially, it's an action film that combines elements reminiscent of "The Vikings" (1958) and Brynner’s “Solomon and Sheba” (1959). There are some attempts at lightheartedness and humor that disappear later on. The Cossacks’ singing and dancing seem overly staged, creating a sense of artificiality, but it's not substantial enough to be a major issue. A particularly exciting scene occurs approximately 70 minutes into the movie, showing various Cossack tribes assembling while riding across the steppe toward battle at Dubno. It’s impressive because there’s no computer-generated imagery involved; it features what appears to be hundreds or even thousands of men on horseback. The film was a box office failure. While not as good as "The Vikings," it's comparable to “Solomon and Sheba.” The movie would have benefited from greater exploration of Andrei’s connection with Natalia. Nevertheless, it provides enough entertainment to warrant watching. Curtis was 36 years old during filming, while Christine was 16. He quickly ended his eleven-year marriage to Janet Leigh to marry Christine shortly after she turned 18 in 1963. That union lasted five years, and Tony has expressed regret over their separation. The film’s runtime is 2 hours and 3 minutes. Filming took place primarily in northern Argentina (with the production based in Salta), as well as at Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, California (for the outdoor love scene), and Universal Studios (representing Kiev and the Polish academy). GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB