Ultra-conservative rendition of the great Modest Mussorgsky opera (a reduction of the once ubiquitous Rimsky-Korsakov edition) is unexpectedly effective. Opera on film rarely works not because the forms are radically dissimilar, but because they are too alike under the skin. Stylistically, this is what Laurence Olivier tried to bring off in his RICHARD III the following year, but here the vocalized perfs better match the decor & backgrounds. It’s a classic Bolshoi cast with the legendary Ivan Kozlovsky in the small role of the Simpleton. He was Stalin’s favorite singer and on call to sing Georgian songs all hours of the night. On the privileges of the mighty, Kozlovsky knew the territory. If only the smashing physical production and color could be sharpened up. Regrettably, the sound is only tolerable.
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