So much average

Simply A Masterpiece

Good movie but grossly overrated

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I first read this novel as a 13 year old at my dad's recommendation! I loved it and reread it many times as a teen-ager. I was young, impressionable, and brought up in an "Orthodox" home...I was spiritually moved and felt a kinship with Dostoyevski's religiosity. I saw the movie at age 19 and was prepared to hate what Hollywood might have done to commercialize my favorite novel! Instead I was transported to 19th century Russia and was totally mesmerized. I forgave the "deletions," I forgave the "alterations"...Dostoyevski was still there and talking!!! I fell in love with Maria Schell and nearly swooned during her Gypsy dance! Alexei was the young monk who personified what it means to be a generous and forgiving Christian; Ivan the spiritually conflicted and deeply honest man of science; Dimitri the tortured deeply human soul who takes on suffering...I even understood and cried when the saintly Starets knelt before Dimitri in the powerful scene at the monastery and asked for his blessing! If only some of our US citizens who explain their draconian political notions as manifestations of their religious beliefs could learn spirituality from Father Zosima! I am now 68 years of age and thrill with each reviewing of this classic. All actors were perfect in their role and for me Schatner will always be vulnerable young Alexei...not the omnipotent Kirk!

It's impossible to make a film based on such a book as the "Brothers Karamzov" by F.M. Dostojevsky.Richard Brooks is a great director, but that film is on a very low level.The worst part of the film was the ending. Well, let's think of the book. In the end we have the "guilty" Dimitrij Karamazov. Afterwards they sent him to Siberia. In the end, the famous epilogues of Dostojevsky, the friends and family making a plan to save him. But that's it ... a nd now the film takes two steps more and shows us an illusion ending of the escape of Dimitry and Gruschenka(I think). just from the moral point I'm sure that Dostojevsky would finish the book with an open end because one the one hand he is not guilty(Smerdjakov is the real murderer) and so he have to be a free man. But on the other hand he goes to his father to kill him, so he has decided to commit the crime... that's a moral dilemma and so the following point is an open end...well, for real ,it's just not full open.William Shatner as Aljoscha Karamazov... I'm sorry! --> NO!!!The others characters playing in a good performance as we have to expect it from such great actors ... In front of course a superb performance of Yul Breynner as Dimitrij. I think that there are not many actors who can play this part in a better way.But as I said in the beginning: This book is unadaptable. It never should be film in two hours that's impossible. I think that there are some 'longer films, so maybe they could do the right thing... But I just keep the opinion that this book can't be adapted.So - 3 points:A point for the great director Richard Brooks A point for a superb performance of Yul BrynnerFinally: A point for one of the greatest writers of all time: Dostojevsky

The earthy intense smoking emotional energy of the actors pulls in the watcher. It stamps the viewer forever. A visit through movie watching becomes a memory that stays stamped on the viewer for eternity or as in my case a lifetime.Emotional fencing supported by the physical threat of violence wrapped in raw pure need and desire fired with a tight steal corset of greed. This movie is all of this and more. Why it is not higher in the rating is certainly a puzzle.Yul Brynner is timeless, and nails his character. Yul Brynner .... Dmitri Karamazov Character of strength and entitlement nails this character.Maria Schell .... Grushenka;Claire Bloom .... Katya, The female characters played well off each other. Lee J. Cobb .... Father Karamazov Cobb unbending with favorites who anoints the chosen one with forgivenessAlbert Salmi .... Smerdjakov William Shatner .... Alexi Karamazov Star Trek Captain character is not to be seen in this role, but his promise does shine through. Richard Basehart .... Ivan Karamazov The Submarine Captain of the future TV series, his strong voice, in this role he is a great. Judith Evelyn .... Mme. Anna Hohlakov Edgar Stehli .... Grigory Harry Townes .... Ippoli Kirillov Miko Oscard .... Ilyusha Snegiryov David Opatoshu .... Capt. Snegiryov Simon Oakland .... Mavrayek Frank DeKova .... Capt. Vrublevski (as Frank de Kova) Jay Adler .... Pawnbroker I truly enjoyed this movie, it is one of my favorites, and has stayed with me over 40 years. That being said it definably struck a fiber cord with in my being

The optimum method for bringing a major literary work to the screen is the mini series, (though the television adaptation of Dostoyevski's "Crime and Punishment" was not to my liking.) There's no possible way a novel of the length and complexity such as "Brothers Karamazov" can be done justice to by the cinema, even given 145 minutes.This 1959 Hollywood version deserves full marks for summarizing and depicting the plot faithfully, but since so much of the essence of the book is missing one cannot help feeling the pointlessness of the entire exercise.Director Richard Brooks manages to sustain the emotion intensity of the piece, keeping the proceedings on an intimate scale, (David Lean no doubt would have blown it up to epic proportions). The cast are largely satisfactory with Yul Brynner is at his charismatic best as Dmitri and Claire Bloom is spot on as Katya. Iridescent Maria Schell is far too genteel for the earthy Grushenka, a part Marilyn Monroe somewhat misguidedly felt she was born to play, according to Hollywood lore. Lee J. Cobb tends towards hamming it up and an almost unrecognizably young William Shatner is a pleasant surprise as the mystically inclined Alexi.While there is some enjoyment to be gained from this movie, one can only wholeheartedly offer the recommendation – read the book.