Sadko
Tags: fantasy

Plot synopsis:
Sinbad the sailor, known for sailing the world and seeing many wondrous and magic things, returns to the city of Kovasahn, with nary a piece of gold to his name. Sinbad soon sees that many of the people of the city are poor and hungry, while the city's merchants are still quite rich. Sinbad proposes that the merchants should fund a journey for him and a crew to find 'the Bird of Happiness,' figuring that it will cure the ailment of the city. The merchants (naturally) deride Sinbad's words and send him away.Having returned, Sinbad is charmed by two women. The first is one named Lubiria, but while Sinbad is charmed by her, she claims she has not known him long enough. The next woman is the young daughter of King Neptune, who finds Sinbad singing near the waters. Sinbad explains his problems trying to convince the merchants, and the young woman formulates a plan: take a boat into the waters, and she will provide him with golden fish.Sinbad then awakens the city, and makes a proposal: if he can catch golden fish in the nearby waters, the merchants must surrender all their goods to the people. If he fails, they can have his head. The merchants balk at such a gesture, but figure there's no way Sinbad can win, and agree.Thanks to Neptune's daughter, Sinbad catches the golden fish, and the merchants relinquish their goods to the people. However, one of the men notes to Sinbad that not everyone has been able to partake in the distribution of goods, and now that everything has been given away, there is no money left for Sinbad to make his journey with.Dejected, Sinbad is at a loss for what to do, until Neptune's daughter causes the golden fish to become actual gold! With his newfound riches, Sinbad has the money to build his boats and prepares for his journey. Lubiria sees him off, promising to send a bird to find him every year until he returns.Sinbad's journey leads him to several lands. Their first encounter is with a group of barbarians along a rocky cliff. The group attempts to make peaceful talk, but the barbarians intend to kill them outright. The group holds them off, and takes the leader's horse. Much later, they arrive in ancient arabia.It is here that one of the men hears of a magic bird that the King has. Sinbad wishes to trade for the bird, but the King wants Sinbad's horse (which actually can talk!). Sinbad then accepts the King's wish to play a chess game. If the King wins, he gets the horse. If Sinbad wins, he can have the bird.Sinbad wins the game, but upon seeing the bird, he and his crew note that it is not the bird they are looking for. It does not bring happiness, but has the power to put people asleep. The group still takes it anyways, and manages to escape from the Kingdom by using the bird's powers.Deciding to go home, the group run into rough waters. In order to dispel the the waters, Sinbad sacrifices himself to Neptune.He arrives in the King's court, and offers to play a song for the royal

Review: The original Russian version with subtitles is one you should consider watching than the English dubbed version of Sadko called the ''magic voyage of Sinbad''.
The result can be devastating if you've already seen the original (Sadko 1952).There are good and bad comments about this film, thanks to the re-dubbed version.
I'm sure everyone that has seen the original version (sadko) will give it at least an 8 out of 10.Someone made a comment that the film is goofy because Sinbad wasn't wet when he visited the great kingdom at the bottom of the sea and how did he manage to hold his breath that long.
And I think ''the magic voyage of sinbad'' should not be credited with ''SADKO''.
Little is known about sadko while magic voyage of sinbad was well advertised 10 years later.
That explains the reason why sadko suffers the bitterness of its good for nothing sequel, magic voyage of sinbad 1962.
Seldom do I have goosebumps from watching a fun fantasy film as I did with this wonderfully restored Russian FAMILY VIEWING film.
I have not watched the other version with the English language dubbing (The Magic Voyage of Sinbad), but I can gather from another user's comments that it had to have been pretty bad.
I prefer original language in such films anyway and don't mind reading the movie.Considering the film was done in 1953 without our cgi stuff and other advanced technology of today, the visuals are absolute gems (well done).
However, due to the nature of that fishy prop, it was rather unique and funny, and added more to the fantasy theme of the movie.Even though the acting was somewhat stiffly hokey by mollywood viewers of the Americas, Russians have a certain flair akin only to their culture.
The original Russian version is finally on DVD!.
This is an update to my comment which I wrote on April 28, 2005: This film (the original Russian film) has been completely restored by Mosfilm and is available on DVD in North-America from the Ruscico label, in most major outlets.
It's just too bad the release of the original did not receive one fifth the publicity of the Coppola atrocity ("The Magic Voyage of Sinbad").
By the way, the illustration on the IMDb "Sadko" page is not of this Russian film but of the opera version of the same name.This is my original comment of a year ago: I first saw 'Sadko' on television in French-speaking Quebec barely four years after it had been honoured at the Venice Film Festival.
In those days of the Cold War, the French had no compunction about distributing Russian films and translating them into French and Canadian television had no compunction about showing this one to the very impressionable children it was meant to be shown to.
'Sadko' is based on a Russian fairy-tale that also inspired the opera of the same name by Rimsky-Korsakoff and it incorporates the opera's ballets and melodies in its action.
The only way Americans have ever seen this film, for the most part, is through the emasculated version called 'The Magic Voyage of Sinbad' which, for purely exploitative reasons, turned this art film intended as a goodwill gesture for the world's children into a commercial adventure film by robbing it of its context (Sinbad was substituted for Sadko and Arabia for Russia), of its moral (all political speeches were mollified), of its characters (the love story was truncated), of its poetry (through a very bad translation) and of most of its glorious establishing shots.
The original runs for 85 minutes and the Russian songs, music and acting make even the 'octopus's garden' scene palatable for adults.
It took me months just to find out what the film's Russian title was and years to get my hands on two very bad VHS copies of 'The Magic Voyage of Sinbad' which have been bootlegged from television and which are offered by quite a few American distributors of offbeat cinema.
The strangeness of watching a Russian film without subtitles is also very liable to recreate in the viewer the very sense of wonder which children were supposed to experience when they first see this film.
But it also shows that this film can boast great direction, magnificent composition, photography and lighting, elaborate art direction, impressive handling of crowd scenes, great costumes, evocative special effects (the bird of forgetfulness is a particularly powerful and memorable image) and a general poetic tone that is its reason for being and the first casualty of its American 'adaptation'.
This is a visually splendid film version of an old Russian legend,  which was the basis of an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov.
The plot has been altered somewhat to enhance its appeal as a film,   and ,  in the English version, the names of the characters and even locations have been completely changed, giving a most bizarre effect!
It's interesting that whether people liked or disliked this film seems to vary depending on whether it was seen in the original Russian, or the English version.
Clearly the thing to do is get out of town quick, so Sadko trades 3 goldfish for 3 boats (they were magic goldfish) and sets sail to find the Bird of Happiness.
I'd originally seen the Sinbad version and I had to turn the sound down.
I'm glad I saw the restored Russian version because the visuals are much clearer and the original soundtrack is pleasant with strong music and the deep serious voices of the men.
_Sadko_ is a masterpiece of cinematic fantasy - there doesn't seem to be one frame that doesn't enthral, and the recreations of medieval Ukraine and India are unsurpassed by any other historical/fantasy film.
The dubbed American version, _The Magic Voyage of Sinbad_, is a bit of a travesty, but I recently saw the complete Russian version with subtitles at a Ptushko retrospective which was going around the country, so it may soon be possible to finally get the real thing on video..
Charming and naive, Alexandr Ptushko's version of Sadko maintains the ingenuity of the fairy tale through the golden touch of imaginative coloring and splendid characters ingrained in the Russian folklore, which at the same time are part of the universal lore.
Sadko concedes to the nationalistic trend in tyrannies proclaiming, in this case, the 'proud of been a Russian", heard as an echo of fascistic hypes on 'selected people or race"; but it is done with such an obvious declarative tone that the imposition of dialogs and lines comes clear to the viewer.
I gave 10 points to the original Russian version....
I gave 10 points to the original Russian version which I saw with Spanish subtitles.
It is worth pointing out that the link provided for those who want to buy this film takes you to where the American-International version is being sold, with the title of The Magic Voyage of Sinbad.
My Betamax copy of this has not been watched in years, but I am certain lacked half of the interesting scenes, and certainly lacks the wonderful music.The original version, as Sadko, can be rented from Netflix, and presumably is rented and sold elsewhere.
I've been inspired so much by this film that I've decided to learn the Russian lyrics to a Song of India, accompany myself on the Er-Hu and my music Teacher will accompany me on the piano for a recital.
See the Russian original, avoid the English dubbed version.
For the past month or so Russian fantasy films have really captivated me.
Sadly the dubbed version(named The Magic Voyage of Sinbad) is one that should never have happened, it is absurdest rather than magical and replaces any thrills or wonder with unintentional humour and dullness.
The Russian original(Sadko) has that sense of fun and magic, there is a little too much talk and the acting did seem a little stiff at times.
The story has the fun, thrill and wonder you'd hope for in a fantasy film and done in a way to captivate children and adults alike.
In conclusion, I liked it very much but I do absolutely agree with those who say the original Russian version is the one to see.
This is a Russian film that is titled Sadko and was repackaged as a Sinbad film for its release in the United States.
Which means a whole lot of people are going to profess their love for it despite the fact the film is not really all that good.
It is kind of like how they repackaged a few of the Italian hero Maciste as Hercules, but those two had way more in common than this guy and Sinbad.
As I stated I do not find this film all that good, but as with many Russian films from the communist era, people are going to claim it is golden and rave about it.
It is no better than films made here from this era and at times it is much worse, but hey, it's Russian it has to be good!
After more stuff like this, they finally launch they expedition and the movie finally takes off as they battle vikings and then make their way to India all to find the bird of happiness.
Sadko even ends up in Neptune's crazy undersea kingdom.This film was featured on the riff show Mystery Science Theater 3000 and it made for a funny episode.
My favorite part though was when the pigeon somehow made it to Sadko while he was underwater and Joel asked, "How does that happen?" So, no, this film is not really all that good.
Perhaps it is better in its native language, but I do not think restoring the original Russian version is going to make those speeches any more exciting or make the effects during some of those later scenes any better.
Seriously, if it is Russian, it does not mean the film is automatically good.
"Sadko" is a bizarre film--at least in the version I saw.
Originally a Russian film, it was purchased, chopped to pieces and dubbed and it instantly became the English language film "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad"!
Such strange practices were not unheard of during this era, as American-International did this with several Russian films during the 1960s.
My review is based only on the Westernized version--perhaps the original film was very good or the plot was totally different.Sinbad ('Sadko') lives in a land where the people are enslaved and everything looks yellowed...no, wait--that's just because of the bad print.
"Sadko" would likely be the outcome.This film in it's original Russian format was overly talky - even for a Russian film...The dubbed version just goes on and on and on....Yakkety yak.......Some of the most inept rewrites I've ever heard/seen.....Lotsa' boring goody goody Soviet propaganda messages here....Especially in the opening part of the film with the nasty guys with all the goodies are keepin' it from all the deserving poor....Awwwwww!
The nasty types head for the hills and Sadco/Sinbad sees to it that all the goods are properly distributed among the poor.......How quaintly soviet!Sadco sets off on a quest that takes him 'round the world in search of goodies to bring back to all those deserving peasants .......He meets the "uber budgie" in the form of a half bird/half woman.......Rather creepy looking.....Kind of like sitting through the end of Tod Browning's "Freaks" for the first time, but not as satisfying.The highlight (if you can call it that!) of the film is when Sadko comes up against a couple of totally twisted Hindu cats that look like a pair of New York drag queens - oh pleeeeeezzzzze!
These clowns wear enough makeup to make Tammy Faye Baker Blush, in addition, their dialog is an absolute riot......It's as if the voice/over guys thought the same about their appearance and actions and played them to the campy hilt.Overall the film seems to meander in such a way that screams: "lookit all the money we spent on this gem, praise Lenin!" Big scenes, sprawling vistas would make a nice travelogue if it weren't for the plodding script and banal dialog....I can't imagine those drones with MST3K even wasting their so-called "talent" on this one, it doesn't need any embellishment.
the seed can be, like many others Soviet film, this poor , charming and seductive movie.
I know this is a dubbed movie version, but the bad voice acting and hilarious Sinbad "solo" to Neptune's daughter really up the kampiness factor!Watch this one MST style.
Besides, anything I could write about the plot would hardly matter as the American bastardization of Sadko that I watched appears to bear only a passing resemblance to either the original Russian movie or the classic Russian folktale on which it was based.
First off, I wonder whose bright idea it was to turn the character named Sadko into Sinbad.
Let's see, Sadko is a poor Russian musician  Sinbad is an adventurous Middle-Eastern sailor.
Secondly, I really have to wonder if the Russian version of the movie included anything about a quest for a bird of happiness.
It's almost as if the idea of the bird was added to the American version to give some sort of justification for "Sinbad" going to sea.Beyond the problems of Americanizing this Russian movie, I have problems with the bits of the original Sadko that seep through.
As I stated in my recent review of The Sword and the Dragon (aka Ilya Muromets), I'm not a fan of this style of Russian movie or acting.
But none of that means I have to actually like the movie." If you change the title of the movie, this quote accurately reflects my feelings on The Magic Voyage of Sinbad.
And even though I realize that my appreciation of the movie might be improved if I were to have the opportunity to see the original film, I doubt the change would be drastic.Like many others, I saw The Magic Voyage of Sinbad through Mystery Science Theater 3000.
I've only seen the dubbed version so I'm relying on that alone to write my review.The Magic Voyage Of Sinbad (Sadko to the purists) is a mildly interesting relic of Soviet propaganda film-making, mixing Marxist philosophies with children's fairy stories.Sinbad returns home, having gave away a fortune, looking a bit like Lenin in a blonde wig and finding the merchants rich and fat while the rest of the city remains poor and hungry, deviating from the west in that usually the poor people in these types of movies are being subjected to harsh taxation by the state.Nowhere is it stated how these fat cat merchants got so rich selling to people with no money nor does it matter.
Man, Russian films just don't translate into English, do they?
This is another one of those cases, like Humanoid Woman, where translating a foreign film into American English robbed it of its punch and turned it into a turkey.
Called the Magic Voyage of Sinbad in English isn't as bad.It concerns an attempt of Sadko, aka Sinbad, to get the bird of happiness and bring it home to his city.
(Ptushko specialized in fantasy films that were grand spectacles that were, in their original forms, very much love letters to mother Russia.
Let me count the ways: a pigeon that can fly underwater, goldfish that turn into gold, a bird of happiness that puts people to sleep by sounding like Marlene Dietrich, and a voyage reminiscent of the great movie (sarcasm noted) Erik the Viking.
I am a fan of Sinbad films, but the ones I like are Ray Harryhausen made.
In fact I only learned afterward that it was originally a Russian film called 'Sadko' and had no connection to Sinbad.
The American distributors obviously tried to cash in on The Sinbad films.
This 'Sinbad' is a bearded, singing and harp playing guy who is totally disrespected by the rich merchants of his home village.
In India they learn about a magic bird that sings of happiness.
Sinbad decides to give up the search for this bird and return to his true love.
I saw this movie under the title THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD but thankfully it was the Russian version of the story, complete with the original character name of Sadko and English subtitles.
This is a Soviet slice of fantasy about a roaming adventurer hero based on classic Russian folklore.
The film is quite episodic and involves Sadko getting involved in various heroic deeds, including some Robin Hood-style redistribution of wealth and alms to the poor and some more fantastic adventures later on.When watching Russian epics from the 1950s, the thing that you most notice about them is just how much they've dated over the years.
*Spoiler/plot- 1953, Magic Voyages of Sinbad, Sinbad returns home from an adventure, but finds things in his home town badly run and the peasants unhappy.
He tries several magic tricks working with Neptunes daughter to catch some magic gold fishes to buy off the rich merchants to build for Sinbad sailing ships to find the Magic Bird of Happiness.
*Emotion- A visually opulent Technicolor film of the Russian Soviet Communistic regime cinema with an operatic flavor and a lesson to viewers.
The dubbed American version is a total unintentional laugh riot.
When he discovers out that giving folks money and material goods doesn't do the trick, Sinbad decides to go on a perilous journey to find the fabled Blue Bird of Happiness.
Boy, does this radically doctored American version of a popular Russian fantasy film possess all the right wrong stuff to qualify as an amusingly inane yukfest: we've got stiff acting, cruddy dubbing, ripe narration, an agonizingly poky pace, a drawn-out and meandering narrative (it takes over thirty minutes for Sinbad to finally embark on his quest!), infrequent and ineptly staged action scenes, a few inspired goofy touches (you gotta love Sinbad's laughing horse and the creepy singing bird lady), laughably lousy (not so) special effects, and a groan-inducing cornball climactic message.