Inside the stunning Soviet masterpiece MST3K got wrong

Movie fans will recognize this title Dragon and the SwordIf they do, it is most likely that they will associate it to the 1994 episode. Mystery Science Theater 3000Where the crew playfully riffs on the Soviet film’s tattered and blotched print. The episode offers a fascinating look at the technical difficulties and badly orchestrated production values in a classicly ambitious disaster. There are many things to be aware of. MST3KFans have found that the original film is an amazing artistic accomplishment. In a new 4K Russian-language restoration, Aleksandr Ptushko’s 1956 epic — originally titled Ilya Muromets in its native Russian — gets the stunning polish it deserves. It’s a movie of grand imagination and epic sweep, with some of the most stunning visuals ever seen in a film of its time.

Ilya Muromets It is an epic fantasy that is inspired by the legend of its mythical nameake. A knight fights against Kalin (the tsar) and his Golden Horde to defend the Kievan Rus Kingdom (modern day Ukraine plus Northeastern Russia). The story goes that Muromets’ son is captured as a baby by one of Kalin’s soldiers and brought up as a warrior for the Horde. Muromets, who is fighting against Kievan Rus for independence and his son, are given the task of fighting his own son in order to protect his country.

Ptushko’s film beautifully renders the legend’s valiant battles and conflicts. Amazing settings, rich colors and Elysian set design make every scene seem like it might be in a painting at the Louvre. It is difficult to believe all of these virtues for anyone who has seen the movie. MST3K. Its notoriety aside, Ilya MurometsIt deserves to be recognized and appreciated as an artistic masterpiece.

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Roger Corman, the B-movie King Roger Corman was a pivotal figure in bringing about Ilya MurometsPtushko and Corman to America. Corman, a producer and filmmaker who was monumental in the importing of foreign cinema, brought classics like Federico Fellini’s Amarcord and Akira Kurosawa’s Dersu UzalaThe United States. In 1960s, he brought also in Ilya MurometsIt can be retitled as Dragon and the Sword.

Corman altered the movie’s scenes, adding an English dubbed audio track and strangely synchronizing it together before its release. The unfortunate result felt like one of those parody videos of Godzilla dubs, where the actors’ mouths are moving but the audience hears dead silence until a few seconds later, when a voice pops out of nowhere to deliver a line. It’s fair to say that much like the Godzilla and Gamera films MST3K riffs on, Ptushko’s epic became ripe for mockery mainly because of the dubbed, recut version. Original MST3K episode also features glaringly poor projection, with a washed-out film print that completely fails to serve the movie’s brilliantly decorated sets.

The film’s performances come in for most of the chiding from the MST3K crew. American movie-goers who are familiar with Hollywood movies often look up to it for quality standards against films from other countries and cult films. But the art of cinema isn’t homogenous, and cultural differences in theatrics and language play a large part in differentiating different national cinemas.

Acting in addition to its vast scope, complex set designs and incredible plot elements is a complement. Ilya Muromets The production is well-done. The film features a variety of melodramatic and embellished monologues. Boris Andreyev is a Muromet with a commanding, deep tenor. It echoes like Zeus speaking from heavens. In the original Russian soundtrack, Andreyev’s delivery sounds exaggerated, for sure. But this is a mythical film, and its hero is a legendary figure in Russia’s cultural history.

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The women in the movie can be considered to have antiquated personas by today’s standards: They’re weepy victims or pining lovers. But that dynamic isn’t any different in a lot of ’50s Hollywood epics, and here, it’s worth looking deeper for the value those characters bring to the narrative. One standout sequence features Sabrina, Muromets’ love interest and soon-to-be wife. A wonderful Snow White and Seven DwarfsThe scene is reminiscent of a forest animal surround, with her singing a love song. The context of MST3K, it’s an easy target for its melodrama mawkishness. But it’s also a wonderful, ethereal diversion in a story otherwise centered around male valor and conquest.

The movie’s violence and special effects are a common point of mockery as well. Special effects have improved so rapidly over the past few decades that modern moviegoers now have a harder time appreciating the stylization of older films — “unrealistic” has been equated with “unrefined and cheap.” But cult audiences still know how to appreciate things differently. Pulp and horror cinema’s prevalence on the internet through online forums, file-sharing communities, and repertory cinema programmers has let previously derided cult epics like Zardoz and Radioactive dreams They are valued for their visions and ambitions, not their realisticism.

For cult fans, there’s a growing level of understanding that artistry isn’t limited to the technological prowess that comes with blockbuster budgets, and that historical technological achievements are worth appreciating for their own sake. While today’s cinema is obsessed with making the impossible look “real,” older movies display a charm through handmade craftwork, practical effects, and inventiveness that helped circumvent technological barriers.

Und Ilya Muromets It is an excellent example of such craft. Background tapestries have been hand painted, costumes are meticulously made, and shots are lyrically composed in order to create the feeling of an epic set in fantasy land. It is obvious that the dragon’s three heads are being pulled by puppeteers, which makes it look quite funny. The cinematic artistry that went into creating these grand scenes of the Kievan Rus army being attacked by it is amazing. It’s the kind of artistry that tries bold gestures with few resources, to pull off a grand battle between swordsmen and a fire-breathing beast. It’s amazing.

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All things considered MST3K, the show’s popularity stems from comedic commentary on the more peculiar aspects of movies. Comedy can be found in poor dialogue, dramatic acting and shoddy visual effects. However, there are many gems. MST3KStill waiting for a reassessment. The show often focuses on films in the worst possible presentation: prints left in closets or bunkers and then forgotten about. The trend towards restoration is focused on the visual elements of cinema, bringing them to the forefront and not obscuring their true beauty.

Ilya Muromets It is clear that this film, once denigrated by many, is now a remarkable and landmark visual accomplishment. It’s no coincidence that the New York Times called creator Aleksandr Ptushko “the Soviet Walt Disney.” Ilya Muromets’ imaginative, inventive, and overall magical new 4K restoration should bring it new fans and cement it as a cinematic marvel that rivals and in many cases surpasses even the best of what mainstream Hollywood blockbusters have to offer.

Restored to 4K Ilya MurometsIt can be Projectr allows you to rent or purchase directly from us.It is Available on Blu-ray at Deaf Crocodile.