Director Alexander Ptushko makes a major contribution to fantastical Russian cinema with his epic tale of cripple-turned-war-hero Ilya Muromets. The first Soviet widescreen film ever produced, ILYA MUROMETS follows Ilya's wild battles against unspeakable evils, which include massive armies and creatures with names like Nightingale the Robber, and Gorynch the Serpent. Released in 1956, the film set a new record with its huge cast, which included an impressive 106,000 extras playing soldiers, and 11,000 horses. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.