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Dersu Uzala

1975 · Movie · G · 141 min · ★ 7.9 · 78% critics

AdventureDrama

In the early 1900s, a military surveying expedition pushes into Siberia’s harsh, unmapped wilderness and relies on a local hunter to survive. As the journey unfolds, a lasting friendship grows across cultures, shaped by respect, hardship, and a shared awe for the natural world.

Based on Dersu Uzala

IMDb

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Details
Original title
Дерсу Узала
Years
1975
Release date
1975-08-02
Language
Russian
Rated
G
Runtime
141 min
Critic score
78/100
TMDB rating
7.9/10 (625 votes)
Budget
$4,000,000
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a patient, reflective adventure about friendship and living in balance with nature; Not for you if you need fast pacing or constant action, and it’s closer in spirit to Red Beard than Yojimbo.

Pros: moving cross-cultural friendship; breathtaking wilderness beauty; thoughtful humanist themes | Cons: slow, quiet pacing; minimal action; can feel distant

Themes

  • hermit
  • friendship
  • tiger
  • map
  • getting lost
  • fur trapping
  • exploration
  • russian soldier
  • nature
  • siberia
  • 1910s

Awards & recognition

  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1976
  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1976 · nominated
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1976 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Akira Kurosawa