Directed by Alexandr Ptushko, sometimes called the "Walt Disney of the USSR," this lavish fantasy film falls into the distinctly Russian genre of
film-bylina: fairy tale film.
Minstrel Sadko (Sergei Stolyarov) returns to his hometown of Novgorod after years of wandering, and is dismayed at the changes he sees. The rich merchants have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and a sense of pervasive unhappiness hangs over the city. Inspired by a story he once heard about a bird of happiness, Sadko mounts an expedition to find this bird and return with it. He pays for the journey with the help of Princess Ilmen (Ninel Myshkova), a daughter of the Tsar of ...
Released:
1952
Rated:
NR
Length:
89 mins