An often-overlooked gem from Soviet fantasy master Aleksandr Ptushko (ILYA MUROMETS, RUSLAN & LUDMILA), SCARLET SAILS is a lovely paean to dreamers and the world of dreams, to outsiders and outcasts, rebels and sailors and storytellers – to those who live differently than the rest of us, no matter who tries to stop them. Adapted from the novel by famed Russian author Alexander Grin, the film follows two parallel stories: the first about Assol, daughter of an impoverished sailor (Ivan Pereverzev from SADKO and NEBO ZOVYOT). As a young girl, an old storyteller predicts her destiny: “One day the sun will shine upon a white ship with scarlet sails. The white ship will slice through the waves and move right towards you.” This shimmering dream sustains her into adulthood when she’s played by the luminous Anastasiya Vertinskaya (WAR & PEACE, THE AMPHIBIAN MAN).

The second story revolves around Arthur, the rebellious son of an aristocrat, who only dreams of shipwrecks, pirates and going off to sea – as an adult he’s played by popular Soviet actor Vasiliy Lanovoy (WAR & PEACE, ANNA KARENINA). Ptushko’s films are filled with images of the sea and voyages, in SADKO, SAMPO and THE TALE OF TSAR SALTAN, and this is his most lyrical homage to the lore and lure of the ocean: windmills framed in the darkening sky, bonfires flickering on cliffs, storm-tossed waves crashing to shore, faces bathed in red firelight like a Caravaggio painting. SCARLET SAILS was Ptushko’s follow-up to SAMPO, and the two films are companion pieces in many ways, both brilliantly shot by the cinematography team of Gennadi Tsekavyj and Viktor Yakushev. And we defy you not to weep at the film’s stunning climax, arguably the most purely emotional sequence in all of Ptushko’s filmography. Beautifully restored by Mosfilm in 4K for its first-ever U.S. Blu-ray release by Deaf Crocodile, in association with Seagull Films. In Russian with English subtitles.

For thoughts on Scarlet Sails, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Scarlet Sails debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Deaf Crocodile in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a new 4K restoration of the original 35mm picture elements by Mosfilm. From the opening moments, you can discern that you are in for a visual feast, and Aleksandr Ptushko truly delivers one of his most beautiful pictures that we have seen here. While it is a bit more grounded than some of his other dreamy work, you are no less whisked away by the wonder of it all. Each environment delights in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved effortlessly. The amount of detail freshly on display is overwhelming with vital textures within the costumes and the rustic production design.

The contrast is in ideal form, and there is virtually no print damage lingering thanks to the careful restoration efforts of Mosfilm. The only thing keeping this from perfection is the minor color fluctuations we occasionally spot, which we presume are tied to the state of the original materials. Outside of these fleeting moments, colors are vibrant and line up with the aesthetic of the feature. Black levels are deep with no indication of black crush or compression artifacts. The new transfer shows off a favorable amount of depth and detail within this world. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray disc that gives this feature the care and attention it deserves.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a top-notch DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Russian (with optional English subtitles). The film strikes the perfect balance between the dialogue and the creative environmental effects. This tale is replete with unique sonic characteristics that make the speakers spring to life. The moving score saturates the room admirably in relation to the competing sounds. Dialogue comes through without the natural sound effects or the music overpowering important information. The film deploys unique sound effects that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. This impeccable track comes through with great strength and without damage or other unwanted nuisances. Deaf Crocodile treats its audio just as well as the video side of things.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Author & film historian Rich Johnson provides an informative commentary track in which he delves into the career of Aleksandr Ptushko, how this fits into the landscape of Russian cinema, the romantic nature of the filmmaking, the utilization of fairy tales, the background of the performers, the production of the film, and much more that you won’t want to miss.

Scarlet Sails – Man-Made Miracles and Godless Fairy Tales: A ten-minute visual essay from film historian Celeste de la Cabra in which they delve into the work of Aleksandr Ptushko, how Scarlet Sails stands apart from similar fantasy outings, the arcs of various characters, the deconstruction of myths, and more.

A Conversation with Tim Lucas & Stephen R. Bissette: An hour-long conversation between Eisner Award-winning comics artist (Swamp Thing), film historian and author Stephen R. Bissette, and film critic and author Tim Lucas (Video Watchdog, Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark). It is always such a pleasure to hear very knowledgeable friends chat with one another about a subject they both love. There are great insights into the movie and Russian cinema that aren’t covered elsewhere on the disc.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for previous Aleksandr Ptushko films released by Deaf Crocodile, including Ilya Muromets (3:24), Sampo (3:22), The Tale of Tsar Saltan (2:20), and Ruslan & Ludmila (1:42).

Booklet: A 48-page booklet is included in this release which features essays from Russian film historian Peter Rollberg and film critic Walter Chaw that offer welcome insights into the film and Aleksandr Ptushko. There is also an In Memoriam section for artist Tony Stella, in which the label shares some of the artwork that this incredible artist created for some of their releases.

Final Thoughts

Scarlet Sails is a somewhat atypical outing from the Aleksandr Ptushko we know, who indulges in ambitious worlds of high fantasy. While the scope of this feature may be more grounded, it has more than a touch of the whimsical nature that the auteur brought to his more overtly fantastical efforts. With many years traversed and multiple storylines followed, Scarlet Sails packs a wallop with its emotional depth in a way that may take certain audiences by surprise. Couple this with an obvious care towards mounting this production, and you are left with a feature outing that you won’t soon forget. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a tremendous A/V presentation and a great selection of special features. Recommended

Scarlet Sails is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and select indie retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.