The Master and Margarita

Starring:Mimsy Farmer
Studio: Cinema Libre
Product Type: DVD

The Master and Margaret / Master i Margarita (3 DVD SET, ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

Average customer rating:

The work is 5 star, the translation subtitles are 2 star
Great movie
One of the truly great Russian novels of this Century
'Say at last--who art thou?' 'That Power I serve Which wills forever evil Yet does forever good.' Goethe, Faust,

The Master and Margaret / Master i Margarita (3 DVD SET, ENGLISH SUBTITLES)
Starring: Aleksandr Adabashyan , Gennadi Bogachyov , Lev Borisov , Roman Kartsev , and Liubomiras Lauciavicius
Director: Vladimir Bortko
Manufacturer: CP Digital
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Ivan Vasilievich - Back to the Future
The Master and Margarita
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The Idiot (4 DVD Set)
Master and Margarita: A Critical Companion (AATSEEL)

ASIN: B000EANSXM

Product Description

SOUNDTRACK (AUDIO): RUSSIAN DOLBY DIGITAL 2.0 / ENGLISH SUBTITLES. SYNOPSIS: Vladimir Bortko has become the first Russian film director to start shooting of renowned Bulgakov's novel and not to stop half-way. All the others Russian directors once engaged in the production of "Master and Margaret" have actually turned out to be unable to finalize their projects. The rumors say, it is due to some mysticism... The "Master and Margaret" begins with two story lines: the Devil and his retinue show up to make mischief in 1930's Moscow while Matthew the Evangelist attempts to uncover the truth about Pontius Pilate and the Crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem in A. D. 33. Halfway through the novel, Bulgakov unveils a third story line set in Moscow, in which the love-stricken Margarita bargains with the Devil to be reunited with her lover, the Master, a tormented writer-hero who pines away in an insane asylum. Bulgakov gradually weaves the three scenarios together, all the while exercising devilish lampoonery and wit to satirize Soviet life under Stalin. Because public discussions of religion and critiques of the government had long been punishable by a trip to the gulag, the themes addressed in "Master and Margaret" very rarely surfaced in the Soviet Union: many Soviet citizens read the Gospel story for the first time in Bulgakov's narrative.

Customer Reviews:

The work is 5 star, the translation subtitles are 2 star.......2007-02-11

This film is a great work of art, and very visually interesting, however, if you must rely on the English subtitle translation, you will be very unhappy with this product. Each of the three disks seem to have a different translator.
The second disk is well done, and has only minor typos and tries to get the feel and substance of the conversations. Usually the subtitles are left long enough for a talented reader to comprehend, but people with reading difficulties, even minor, may be forced to review and pause.
The first disk leaves 3 minute blocks of conversation untranslated or flashes substantial subtitles for only 3-5 seconds, requiring the non-Russian speaking viewer to pause and review. I do not count the songs untranslated or movie titles and inserts from Russian script untranslated, but complete conversations are left with no translation.
The third disk is between the first and second in quality. Again one finds substantial untranslated conversations, but at least the storyline is there, in the most part, even thoughthere are more mispellings in these subtitles. I suspect the translations were made quickly and the translaotrs were of different qualitry, while the project coordinator didn't really care about the subplots, and subtle humor of the work being translated for an English speaking / reading audience.
The visuals slide easily between grainy greyscale to vibrant color, depending on the mood and setting. The parody of Soviet life is very accurate, as my ex-Soviet friends attest. The best possible recommendation is to first read the novel, then view this film. The best possible fix for the film would be to hire a new translator, or let the person(s) who worked on disk #2 redo disks #1 and #3.
Shame on the distributor for accepting the substandard translation that burden the acceptance of such a stunning work or art. I compromise with 3 stars, and hope Woland's cat visits the person who accepted such weak translations.

Great movie.......2007-01-15

I bought this movie for my mother and she loved it... she sent it to chicago to my grandmother and aunt and they loved it as well... I personally watched only 1/2 and it's very interesting and makes you think about live in a different light.

One of the truly great Russian novels of this Century.......2006-11-26

Although completed in 1940, The Master and Margarita was not published in Moscow until 1966, when the first part appeared in the magazine Moskva. It was an immediate and enduring success: Audiences responded with great enthusiasm to its expression of artistic and spiritual freedom.

Mikhail Bulgakov's devastating satire of Soviet life was written during the darkest period of Stalin's regime. Combining two distinct yet interwoven parts-one set in ancient Jerusalem, one in contemporary Moscow-the novel veers from moods of wild theatricality with violent storms, vampire attacks, and a Satanic ball; to such somber scenes as the meeting of Pilate and Yeshua, and the murder of Judas in the moonlit garden of Gethsemane; to the substanceless, circus-like reality of Moscow. Its central characters, Woland (Satan) and his retinue-including the vodka-drinking, black cat, Behemoth; the poet, Ivan Homeless; Pontius Pilate; and a writer known only as The Master, and his passionate companion, Margarita-exist in a world that blends fantasy and chilling realism, an artful collage of grostesqueries, dark comedy, and timeless ethical questions.

If you like the book you should see the first movie produced by Russians (producer Vladimir Bortko), simply because there is no other screen version made. It is found a very closed to the book and filmed in Russia. Many of comic and episodic scenes are funny and truly well made. These 480 film minutes are going really easy, especially if you know what is going on there and understand Russian well.

Famous Russian professional actors: Bezrukov, Basilashvili, Lavrov, Abdoolov, Philipenko, Cartsev, Ghaft, Olejnikov, etc., great music by Russian composer Igor Kornelyuk.

It is very interesting to compare it with your own impressions after reading the book.

'Say at last--who art thou?' 'That Power I serve Which wills forever evil Yet does forever good.' Goethe, Faust,.......2006-09-08

"Master i Margarita", the book and the movie:

I have read "Master and Margarita" three times, and I am sure that I will read it again. I was very lucky because all three times I read it in Russian, and even the best translation can not compare to the original. Every time, I found something new in the book; it would turn to me by different facets. "Master and Margarita" is incredibly beautiful, deep, sophisticated yet playful and sparkling book with unforgettable characters. In fact, it is not one novel but three. First, about the adventures of Devil and his company in the 1920-th Moscow; second, about Pontius Pilatus and Jesus in Jerusalem of the first century, and the third one, about the Master, the writer who wrote the second novel, and his eternal and true love, Margarita. The story of Master and Margarita is the story of Bulgakov and his wife and muse, Elena. All three stories are connected and intertwine. All three of them end with the exactly same phrase, "...the cruel fifth procurator of Judea, the equestrian Pontius Pilate."

So, what is the book about? Good, evil, betrayal, talent, love, forgiveness? Yes, it is. But it is so much more.

I had a lot of doubts before watching the film because as much as I wanted to see "Master and Margarita" on the screen I was not sure that it was possible to adapt it and not to lose anything important - which is everything.

I am pleasantly surprised - the film is very good. It is respectful, thoughtful and as close to the spirit of the greatest Russian novel of the last century as possible.

The movie is not perfect (and I don't think that the perfect transfer is possible) but the choice of actors, the music score, the visual palette that change as we enter the different eras, places, and dimensions are outstanding. I was initially surprised by some names but almost every actor proved him/herself very capable in bringing to the screen well known and beloved characters. I would say that some of special effects could be ...well, more special - for example, the mischievous talking cat Behemoth could be done more interestingly. I also don't see the exact reason for creating a new character, the man in uniform with the glasses and very recognizable accent who is in charge of investigating the "crimes of the band of powerful hypnotists" - how they call Woland and his entourage. One can argue that the titular couple, the tragic lovers, Master and Margarita are weaker and their story seems pale in the comparison to one of Pilat (bravo to 80 year old stage and screen legend, Kirill Lavrov who can be remembered as Ivan Karamazov in The Brothers Karamazov (1969) and Ieshua Ha-Notsri (incredible performance by the young bright star, Sergei Bezrukov of "Brigada"'s fame almost unrecognizable as Ieshua). I think no one can deny that Oleg Basilashvili as powerful, cynical and eternally wise Woland, the part of Power " Which wills forever evil Yet does forever good" IS the true Master of the film. My fascination and admiration belong to Alexander Abdulov on whom I as a young girl had a huge crush in his film debut. For many years he had been the Russian sex symbol but his enormous comical talent found its match in the part of Woland assistant/ translator, Koroviev. His and Behemoth's adventures in Moscow are screamingly funny. I think that the film is a successful and enjoyable adaptation of the beloved cult novel and I recommend seeing it. I am going to order the sound track. As I mentioned, the music by Igor Kornelyuk is one of the film's treasures.

P.S. I used to work on the street where the last home of Mikhail Bulgakov was. He was taken to the cemetery from there.

The famous "Pashkov's House" with the rotunda on the top where Woland and his team gathered together before they left Moscow forever, was in walking distance from my work, and I remember, once, I almost got hit by the car -I walked and looked at that music in stone and could not take my eyes off it.

Average customer rating:

The Master and Margarita
Starring: Alain Cuny , Mimsy Farmer , Ljuba Tadic , Ugo Tognazzi , and Pavle Vujisic
Director: Aleksandar Petrovic
Manufacturer: Cinema Libre
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Master i Margarita / Master and Margaret - 4 DVDs Gift Edition (PAL - Russian Import)

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Master i Margarita / Master and Margaret - 4 DVDs Gift Edition (PAL - Russian Import)

Manufacturer: CP Digital
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Product Description

NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES!!! Collector's Edition, PAL (multisystem PAL/NTSC compatible DVD player required) - Russian Import, ALL Region, 2 Box Sets (4 DVDs). Audio track: DD 5.1 RUSSIAN. WILL NOT play on regular R1 DVD player. Please, get familiar with all details about DVD video standards and region coding to avoid any misunderstandings.........................................SYNOPSIS: Vladimir Bortko has become the first Russian film director to start shooting of renowned Bulgakov's novel and not to stop half-way. All the others Russian directors once engaged in the production of "Master and Margaret" have actually turned out to be unable to finalize their projects. The rumors say, it is due to some mysticism... The "Master and Margaret" begins with two story lines: the Devil and his retinue show up to make mischief in 1930's Moscow while Matthew the Evangelist attempts to uncover the truth about Pontius Pilate and the Crucifixion of Jesus in Jerusalem in A. D. 33. Halfway through the novel, Bulgakov unveils a third story line set in Moscow, in which the love-stricken Margarita bargains with the Devil to be reunited with her lover, the Master, a tormented writer-hero who pines away in an insane asylum. Bulgakov gradually weaves the three scenarios together, all the while exercising devilish lampoonery and wit to satirize Soviet life under Stalin. Because public discussions of religion and critiques of the government had long been punishable by a trip to the gulag, the themes addressed in "Master and Margaret" very rarely surfaced in the Soviet Union: many Soviet citizens read the Gospel story for the first time in Bulgakov's narrative.

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Languages: MONO: Russian DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1: Russian, English (dubbed), French (dubbed) Subtitles: Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian. This film is based on works by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov. The 1920s Civil War in Russia. Routed by the Red Army, the panic-stricken White Guards were fleeing the country. Like a headlong avalanche, they carried along those who wouldnt accept the new power. Among many who fled abroad from the Crimea were Roman Khludov, head of the general staff of Wrangels Army, a hangman and executioner; Sergei Golubkov, a university professor; Serafima Korzukhina, wife of a St. Petersburg business man who renounced her to save his own skin, and others. Their lives in a foreign land took different turns, but they were all destined to go through a bitter re-evaluation of their former ideals and personal dramas. One of the worlds best screen adaptations of M. Bulgakovs prose his novels The Flight and White Guard and libretto The Black Sea dedicated to M. Frunze. Literary consultant of the film the authors widow Yelena Bulgakova.

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