The Tale of Tsar Saltan: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Soviet Union, 1966
Director: Aleksandr Ptushko
Writers: Aleksandr Ptushko, Igor Gelein
Cast: Vladimir Andreyev, Larisa Golubkina, Oleg Vidov, Ksenia Ryabinkina, Olga Viklandt, Vera Ivleva, Nina Belyaeva

Release Date: September 16th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Russian
Subtitles: English (Non-Removable)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Driven from the Russian court by her sisters’ scheming, the young Tsarina (Larisa Golubkina) is thrown into the sea in a cask with her infant son. Surviving the storm-tossed voyage, the mother and her now magically adult son (Oleg Vidov) land on a remote island where he falls in love with a Swan Princess in human form (Kseniya Ryabinkina) and longs for reunion with his estranged father, Tsar Saltan (Vladimir Andreyev)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K restoration from the original 35mm picture and sound elements restored by Mosfilm and Deaf Crocodile for its first-ever Blu-ray release in the U.S., co-presented with Seagull Films."

The Tale of Tsar Saltan comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 18.8 GB

The source looks excellent; this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Russian with non-removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with legendary visual effects artist and film historian Robert Skotak (Academy Award winner, Best Visual Effects for Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) on Aleksandr Ptushko and the history of Soviet fantastika filmmaking, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile Films (69 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with comics artist (Swamp Thing), film historian, and author Stephen R. Bissette and an 8-page booklet with an essay titled Aleksandr Ptushko’s The Tale of Tsar Saltan written by Peter Rollberg.

Summary:

The Tale of Tsar Saltan was directed by Aleksandr Ptushko, who's been referred to as the Soviet Ray Harryhausen because of his work in special effects, notably stop-motion animation. Notable films he directed are Ilya Muromets, Sampo, and Ruslan and Ludmila.

Two sisters become jealous of their younger sister when the Tsar marries her instead of them. They remain bitter, despite being permitted to be with her as servants to the Tsar. When the Tsar is away due to war, the two jealous sisters, along with others dissatisfied with his rule, conspire to place the queen and her son into a barrel and cast them into the sea.

Based on a Russian fairy tale written by Alexander Pushkin, it is a magical story in which there are giant sea soldiers, statues that come to life, goblin-looking invaders, a singing squirrel, and a swan princess. While Aleksandr Ptushko's exceptional special effects are prominently featured throughout the film, The Tale of Tsar Saltan utilizes stop-motion animation less frequently than his other works. That said, the result is a film that's more Arabian Nights than Ray Harryhausen-like fantasy films.

The Tale of Tsar Saltan has two distinctive halves; the first half deals with invaders who are a threat to the Tsar and his kingdom, while in the latter half the focus shifts to an internal power struggle where those against the Tsar vie for power. Although the goblin invaders are an imminent threat that sets the foundation, it is ultimately the mother and son’s quest to reunite with their husband and father that drives the narrative.

Aleksandr Ptushko’s films are renowned for their special effects, and The Tale of Tsar Saltan does not disappoint in this regard. Although there are magical moments throughout, they are more prominent in the latter half, when a city and its inhabitants are brought to life with magic. That said, the special effects look remarkable; they have not lost any of their luster or ability to wow audiences.

At 85 minutes in length, the narrative never overstays its welcome, and things move along briskly. The production design is outstanding; it creates a believable world that is overflowing with imagination. Other areas where The Tale of Tsar Saltan excels are its use of tongue-in-cheek humor and solid performances, especially the two actresses who portray the two wicked sisters. Ultimately, The Tale of Tsar Saltan is a wonderfully executed fantasy film that fans of this genre should thoroughly enjoy.

The Tale of Tsar Saltan gets an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer