Dersu Uzala

So, this is little known the first version of "Dersu Uzala" from 1961. Based on a true story. The famous Kurosawa's "Dersu Uzala" is a remake made 15 years later, in 1975. The first part of the movie is almost identical to later Kurosawa's remake, while the other part is very different, but equally beautiful. I watched both versions many times over the years, and I couldn't say which one I liked more. This one is much shorter, though, an hour shorter. This earlier version is more like an adventure through the wilderness. A sort of a Lewis & Clark expedition in Asia's far east. In this one, Dersu Uzala is really a main character.

If you like Kurosawa's film - I recommend you to watch this one, as well, because they have a different "flavor".

Dersu Uzala is a 1961 Soviet film, adapted from the books of Vladimir Arsenyev, about his travels in Russian Far East with a native trapper, Dersu Uzala.

The film was produced by Mosnauchfilm, directed by Agasi Babayan with screenwriter Igor Bolgarin and featuring Adolf Shestakov and Kasym Zhakibayev.

The film won the Golden Wolf at the 1961 Bucharest Film Festival.