The movie about the 16th-century Cossack revolt against the Poles, who had previously wronged them, begins with a striking musical piece by Franz Waxman. However, the quality declines significantly after that initial impression. Yul Brynner doesn't seem at ease in his central character; he’s chosen to confront the Polish forces according to his own strategy, sending his two sons off to Kiev for an education. His son, portrayed by Tony Curtis, develops feelings for the attractive but reserved daughter of the Governor, Christine Kaufmann, and the film explores what happens afterward as the Cossacks are called upon once more to fight alongside the Poles—this time acting as the betrayers themselves. There are moments when it manages to hold your attention, such as a tense horseback confrontation between Curtis’s character and another Cossack who leaps across a chasm; but for the most part, the film feels ordinary, and while the cinematography is competent, the actors don't quite fit their roles, and the direction moves at an agonizingly slow speed. Guy Rolfe appears periodically as the reliable villain, along with Sam Wanamaker, but it simply takes far too long for anything substantial to occur.

Source on TMDB