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The Idiot (4 DVD Set) | 
| Studio: CP Digital
Category: DVD
Buy New: $38.95
New (3) from $38.95
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 27656
Format: Box Set, Color, Ntsc, Full Screen, Import
Languages: Russian (Unknown), English (Subtitled)
Region: 0
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 500 Minutes
UPC: 088925321660
EAN: 0088925321660
ASIN: B0002FHR0Y
Publication Date: 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: FREE FIRST CLASS UPGRADE, NEW MINT SEALED DVD, IMMEDIATE SHIPPING, I am NOT a corporation, dealership or some fictional "official online distributor", I am a private seller who values each and every order, I treat each customer as an individual and not as a number, thus I aim and provide a 200% service.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Directed by Vladimir Bortko Produced by Valery Todorovsky Music by Igor Kornelyuk Credited cast: Evgeny Mironov, Lidiya Velezheva, Vladimir Mashkov, Aleksandr Lazarev, Oleg Basilashvili, Inna Churikova, Olga Budina, Aleksandr Domogarov, Aleksey Petrenko, Vladimir Ilyin, Mikhail Boyarsky, Anastasiya Melnikova, Maria Kiseleva... Based on the novel of Fyodor Dostoevsky The Idiot Count Myshkin comes back to Russia from Switzerland where he was under care in psychiatric hospital. He meets Parfen Rogozhin on a train on his way to St.Petersburg. Rogozhin tells Myshkin about his passionate love for Nastasia Filippovna who used to be a kept-woman of millionaire Totsky. When the count gets to Petersburg, he comes to the house of his distant relative Epanchina who is a wife of a general. Myshkin meets Epanchinas husband, their daughters, and generals secretary Ganya Ivolgin. Nastasia Filippovnas portrait that was accidentally spotted by the count on the generals table creates a big impression on Myshkin... This incarnation of The Idiot is arguably the first which portrays Dostoyevskys entire novel; earlier versions have focused on only the first part, or the main storyline. No effort was spared in reproducing period detail; several museums provided fabric and lace for the costumes.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Masterpiece spoiled by awful subtitles November 20, 2008
zamataz (Chapel Hill, NC)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The cast and production are splendid. The subtitles are an abomination. They often make no sense whatsoever. How the director could have allowed his excellent work to be marred in this way is beyond me. With proper subtitles, this should be a best seller.
 Masterpiece June 25, 2008
SeekingTraveler
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This film of Dostoevsky's "Idiot" by director Vladimir Bortko is a work of art and genius. I watched this 10 part, 8 hour long mini-series immediately after reading the novel (the Eva Martin translation). "Idiot" is one of the best novels I have ever read, and this film is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
With a few understandable exceptions, the film is true to this brilliant novel in ever detail. Director Bortko and writer Kathrine Travinskaya have meticulously (reverentially) translated Dostoevsky's novel to film: the dialog, internal thoughts, facial expressions, gestures, character movements, settings, costumes, buildings, etc., etc., are impressively true to the novel. In fact, one might enjoy this film more without prior experience of the novel (unlike Bortko's "Master and Margarita," which really required one to read Bulgakov's novel first).
The casting is nearly perfect: even minor characters have been meticulously well cast. While it is true that some of the actors may be too old for their parts, their superb acting justifies their selection for their roles. The performances are totally believable and deeply moving. I was particularly impressed by the performances of Yevgeni Mironov (as Myshkin), Lidiya Velezheva (as Nastassya Filippovna), Vladimir Mashkov (as Rogozhin), Inna Churikova (as Lizaveta), Aleksei Petrenko (as General Ivolgin), Vladimir Ilyin (as Lebedev). I was very moved by the performance of Lidiya Velezheva during the scenes of Nastassya Filippovna's birthday party; she brilliantly and seamlessly shifts back and forth from a vicious coquette to a destroyed little girl. Of course Yevgeni Mironov's performance is so perfect and convincing, he was not really acting at all; instead, he surely must have been channeling the very soul of Prince Myshkin from the mind of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky himself.
Bortko's direction is impeccable. (Has he won a foreign language film Oscar? If not, why not?) I was also very impressed with the settings, art direction, lighting, costumes, and cinematography.
The language track is Russian (of course); but the DVDs have English subtitles. Although my Russian is very rusty, I believe the translation is quite accurate (in any case, it matches the dialog from the novel - - - which I had just read). Different people must have worked on the subtitles for the ten different episodes: some episodes are perfect, some have a few problems. However, the occassional minor problem with a subtitle is trivial compared to the overall greatness of this film. In the case of rapid (sometimes multi-character) dialog, I simply slowed the playback of the DVD player (it is no big thing).
All of the menus on the DVDs are in Russian; but do not let that scare you from buying the film. From the main menu, the top selection will start the film; the second selection will bring up a part selection menu; the fourth (bottom) selection will bring up a menu to turn on English subtitles. Just use a little trial and error (it is no big thing). Of course, you can also select chapters and turn on the English subtitles using the standard features on your remote control.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves great literature and great cinema.
Idiot's unsurpassable humanity April 25, 2008
Vera M. (USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
If like me, you think you have seen it all in terms of actors and acting, take a look at this performance. Yes, we all know our stars, we surround them with love, adoration, Oscars, Golden Lions, Eagles, etc. Put that aside, and again, take a look at this performance. If after you have seen it, you find a category to place it in - I will owe you.
Evgeny Mironov. His act feels like everything but acting. And to say the truth, it is not a real acting - it is rather a part of his soul, dissected, turned inside out, given a name and a separate life. If your soul can host prince Myshkin too, congratulate yourself - you are there with Dostoevsky himself.
The series is well done. Good directing, good actors, except for Nastasya Fillipovna's part. Ms. Velezheva acts unemotionally, most of time mechanically. It is hard to justify why a wooden doll was casted as an object of passions. Vladimir Mashkov on the contrary, is burning with passion. His language, though, often sounds too contemporary, far from Dostoevsky's epoch. Inability to adjust the manner of speech, rhythm, and pronunciation to the epoch works against the actor's best effort.
I do not really want to waste time discussing the flaws. Save your time for important things. Watch Mironov act, saturate yourself with Dostoevsky's humanity. Enjoy an encounter with a giant talent, but most of all, an incredible soul.
An inspired "Idiot" September 2, 2007
Manya (Beaverton, OR USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This has to be the best ensemble acting I've seen in years. Yevgeny Mironov does a stupendous job with this role: he is shy, simple-appearing, self-effacing but innately intuitive and heart-piercing as Prince Myshkin. The other actors are all superbly chosen: Elizaveta Profievna, Rogozhin and Lebedyev stand out in my mind. My one quibble might be the casting choice for Nastasya Fillipovna, but then, her character is larger than life; it's doubtful that anyone could capture her nature as Dostoevsky describes her.
The locales, costumes, even the cadence of Russian phrasing no longer heard faithfully conjure the atmosphere of late 19th century Russia. I agree with the comments about the subtitles, which indeed are horrible. After awhile, I abandoned them and listened to the Russian dialogue, which when spoken slowly, was comprehensible. I admit to becoming lost when the action heated up and characters spoke so fast, they almost spoke over each other.
I liked this version so well, I plan to buy it and watch it many more times. A commendable effort for recent Russian cinema. Also recommended: The First Circle, the Master and Margarita and the State Councillor (all are 2005 films, I believe).
Greatest Novel to T.V. Movie Translation In my View June 18, 2007
T. ROHE (Fresno, CA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
When I found out that they had made a TV movie out of my favorite Novel and my favorite writer I knew I had to buy and watch it no matter what. I'm glad I did. It is the cloesest translation from book to movie and the best. The Characters I saw in my imagination where almost exactly like the actual actors. The acting was great. I loved it.
The only thing I didn't like was how quickly the subtitles went by and that some subtitles didn't fit on the whole screen, but that was rare. This didn't stop me from enjoying this greatly.
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