Please don't spend money on this.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I too loved this movie when I saw in cinema, I have just bought a copy from Amazon and hope with my wide screen TV that it will give a satisfactory viewing. I was so impressed with the relationship between the two main characters and considering that this movie was made during the height of the Cold War in an area of Russia that was very restricted to visit, it is a wonder that it was ever made. I wonder if Russian censors ever got to see this film as it shows an official wavering between duty and his personal sense of right and wrong.It has subtitles but do not let that put you off watching this marvelous film that has spectacular scenery and dynamic interplay between the protagonists plus a political comment (between the lines) about Russia of the time and the world in general when first world meets third world... {:~)

Winner, Best Foreign Language Film, 1976.Kurosawa's best film in color. It is one of the most beautiful movies ever made. Kurosawa takes you to the colorful and picturesque forests of Siberia; a treat to sore eyes.Dersu, a hunter in the forest, is a true son of the forest. He converses with all the life forms and treats them as fellow men with respect and fear. The soldiers ridicule his old-fashioned behavior but the captain sees him more than his customs- as a professional hunter and a guide. Dersu leads the troop into the Siberian forests, leaves them spellbound with his perfect aiming of the gun and his ever-alert ears that would sense even the faintest of the sounds. Dersu saves the life of the captain when they get lost and are caught in a fierce storm and the design of the cave-like-structure that saved captain's life further increases the admiration the captain has towards Dersu.Years later, the captain leads another troop on an exploration into the forest and the soldiers happen to meet Dersu. Dersu becomes a senile, crotchety codger and his sharp eyesight diminishes. He is persuaded by the captain to rest at his place in the town but he feels he doesn't fit among the fast-moving and weird world where people pay for water. He is later found dead after being killed by a thief who stole the gun gifted by the captain and the captain performs the obsequies in respect for their friendship.

One important issue was yet not touched in previous reviews - it's the Vladimir Arseniev books, that became Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala story. Not just memoirs or journal, but books that were written by Vladimir Arseniev based on his experience as an explorer of Sikchote Alin. These books were and still remain popular and well known in Russia. The books are based on memoirs and journals of Arseniev, but he made a good work to create a literature of them. And this he did exactly by focusing on friendship between him and Dersu (which indeed took place), and on unique character of the latter. And a great part of the books is a beautiful depiction of nature. The film "Dersu Usala" follows these initial focuses and ideas to make perfect visualization.So, please also pay some tribute to the soul and talent of Vladimir Arseniev, whose work is a masterpiece in itself, even if there were no any films based on it.There is a wiki page about this writer and some of his books were translated and can be found by non-Russian-speaking readers.

If you haven't seen many or any of director Akira Kurosawa's films, I strongly recommend you don't start with this one. It's not that it's a bad film (it isn't), but it's because the style is so unlike the rest of his work and the film is amazingly slow. The casual viewer might easily give up early on, as it is a difficult film to love. But, if you are able to get past this, it's a very rewarding film.This film is set in remote areas of the far Eastern portion of Russia about a decade before the Revolution. A group of soldiers have been sent there to explore and document the region and it's clear that they are a bit out of their element in the bleak steppes. Fortunately for the men, they meet up with a nomad named 'Dersu Uzala'--a guy who has wandered this region his entire life. I say fortunate because Uzala has a lot of experience and wisdom. His know-how is able to save the men and aid their journey repeatedly. The contrast between the man and the rest of the group is striking--and not just for the physical differences between them but because of Uzala's unusual animistic beliefs. And, when Uzala leaves to go his own way, the men are sad to see him go and are filled with admiration for this odd but likable man. Fortunately, he does return later and once again, his wisdom saves the men on repeated occasions.Later, the Captain from the expedition brings Uzala home with him. However, Uzala cannot cope with the city--it is just too foreign. It's obvious he's miserable and wants to return to the East. Uzala leaves and soon he's found dead--and the film ends on a very sad note.The film definitely has scope and you can't help but admire Kurosawa and his Russian-Japanese crew. They obviously spent a lot of time on this movie and braved many tough days in the snow and rain. In many ways, it's reminiscent of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that explored much of the US in the very early 19th century. Like the Russians, Lewis and Clark also found a native who assisted them...much like Uzala.One final note. This film is based on a book written by a member of this actual team of explorers. Yes, he was a real trapper and the story was also filmed in 1961.