Dersu Uzala Budget
AdventureDrama2h 21mUpdated
Synopsis
A Russian army explorer who is rescued in Siberia by a rugged Asian hunter renews his friendship with the woodsman years later when he returns as the head of a larger expedition. The hunter finds that all of his nature lore is of no help when he accompanies the explorer back to civilization.
What is the budget of Dersu Uzala?
"Dersu Uzala," an adventure released in 1975, was directed by Akira Kurosawa and stars Yuriy Solomin, Maksim Munzuk. The production budget was $4,000,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for adventure productions of the 1970s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an adventure production like this include:
- Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
- Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
- Development: Kurosawa returned to the project of adapting Dersu Uzala in 1972 when the film producer received a communication from the All-Soviet Union of Filmmakers indicating they were committed to a Soviet,Japanese production.
What were the major cost factors in Dersu Uzala?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Dersu Uzala."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in adventure productions of this scale.
How Does Dersu Uzala's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $4,000,000, Dersu Uzala sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- Peter Pan (1953): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $87,400,000
- Farewell My Concubine (1993): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,400,000
- Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003): Budget $4,000,000 , Gross $6,664,789
- Trainspotting (1996): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $71,981,823
- Capernaum (2018): Budget $4,000,000, Worldwide Gross $64,978,931
The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Dersu Uzala Production History
Kurosawa returned to the project of adapting Dersu Uzala in 1972 when the film producer received a communication from the All-Soviet Union of Filmmakers indicating they were committed to a Soviet,Japanese production. Matsue and Kurosawa's script advisor, Teruyo Nogami, flew to Moscow in early 1973 to sign a production agreement stipulating that although it would be a Soviet production, Kurosawa would maintain full artistic control. Nogami states that originally, the Soviet side wanted Toshiro Mifune to be cast in the role of Arsenyev, but Matsue persuaded them that Mifune would not stay in Siberia for a shoot lasting for years.
Filming of Dersu Uzala began in February 1974. The film used . These cameras used film stock at a speed of ASA 40 (according to Nogami, the Japanese industry used film stock at a sensitivity of ASA 100 to 120).
Awards and Recognition
Won 1 Oscar. 8 wins & 1 nomination total
- Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (48th Academy Awards)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Dersu Uzala (1975)?
The production budget was $4,000,000, covering principal photography, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $2,000,000 - $3,200,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $6,000,000 - $7,200,000.
How much did Dersu Uzala (1975) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was Dersu Uzala (1975) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing Dersu Uzala?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Yuriy Solomin, Maksim Munzuk, Mikhail Bychkov); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation; international production across Japan, Soviet Union.
How does Dersu Uzala's budget compare to similar adventure films?
At $4,000,000, Dersu Uzala is classified as a micro-budget production. The median budget for wide-release adventure films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: Peter Pan (1953, $4,000,000); Farewell My Concubine (1993, $4,000,000); Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (2003, $4,000,000).
Did Dersu Uzala (1975) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
What awards did Dersu Uzala (1975) win?
Won 1 Oscar. 8 wins & 1 nomination total.
Who directed Dersu Uzala and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Akira Kurosawa, written by Yuriy Nagibin, Akira Kurosawa, shot by Asakazu Nakai, Fyodor Dobronravov, with music by Isaac Schwarts, edited by Valentina Stepanova.
Where was Dersu Uzala filmed?
Dersu Uzala was filmed in Japan, Soviet Union. Filming of Dersu Uzala began in February 1974. The film used . ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Dersu Uzala
Official Trailer
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