In a small independent video store, I found a fantastically obscure version of Treasure Island: the 1971 version produced in the *Soviet Union* and now reissued on DVD by Ruscico. Of course, I had to rent it.
This Treasure Island has, beyond a doubt, the best cinematography of any of the seven versions I've seen. The scenes of the ship, the sea, the sky, the sun, the forests, the stockade, and the inn are all beautifully lit and colored. Although the movie surely had to be vetted and approved by the state arts council or whatever, there is no oppressive or heavy-handed Communist propaganda.
Although it's not overly faithful to the book (Black Dog is omitted, and Billy Bones is killed by his own men instead of a stroke), the story still hangs together well and is exciting. There's a subtle moment when Squire Trelawney hands Jim Hawkins a book on buccaneers and mentions that it's good even if it written by a Frenchman, but Captain Smollett mildly interjects that it was actually written by a Dutchman - a clear reference to Exquemelin's "The Buccaneers of America."
Unfortunately, Treasure Island stands or falls on the performance of Long John Silver, and I was unimpressed by Boris Andreyev in the role. I found him frail and uncharismatic. Jim Hawkins, Dr. Livesey, and Squire Trelawney are likewise not very compelling. The guy who made the most impression on me was the one who played Israel Hands; unfortunately I didn't catch his name. Also, the actors who did the English dubbing were terrible; so bad, in fact, that I switched to the Russian-language version and turned on the English subtitles. This makes it more bearable. And I must say, there's a certain campy frisson in hearing "Sixteen men on the dead man's chest" sung in Russian (the last word sounds like "Raummm!").
Post Edited (05-26-04 18:31)
