Ilya Muromets (originally released in English as The Sword and The Dragon) follows the story of a mythical medieval warrior. Ilya Ivanovich Muromets starts our story as a man afflicted by a debilitating disease, bound to his chair while life continues to whirl around him. His incapacity torments him deeply, preventing him from participating in sowing, reaping, building, or celebrating. His anguish intensifies when his village falls victim to a ruthless attack by marauding Tatars from the Asian steppe.
Soon after this happens, a group of religious pilgrims passes through the village. Ilya invites them into his home and shows them hospitality. Impressed by the man’s stature and sympathetic to his plight, they take his kindness as a sign and provide a cure for his illness. The young man is elated when he takes his first steps and asks what he can do to repay the pilgrims. They give him a mythical giant’s sword and ask him to fight for justice. With his new weapon, he travels to Kiev to defend the city from the advancing Tartar horde.
This 1956 fantasy film has been featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and despite their mockery of the dated effects and bad translation, Ilya Muromets is an excellent example of the golden age of Soviet film. Whereas color film was still somewhat rare in American cinemas, the Soviet film industry was increasingly ambitious in its use of color.
This restored version of the film is truly spectacular in its utilization of color, nature cinematography, and imaginative incorporation of extras. It offers a captivating blend of classic practical effects and traditional camera techniques, resulting in breathtaking fantasy visuals. These include a giant knight's transformation into a mountain and the Tartar king's ascent atop a mound of his soldiers to gain a vantage point over a mountain range.
While the storyline and much of the dialogue may struggle to engage the modern viewer unassisted, the film's sheer visual beauty and its fantastical elements are sure to captivate those with an interest in fantasy and Soviet cinema. Recommended.