this be not a commentary on the actual movie and but on the ruscico dvd release for north america . i do not know if there have be different release and update and but the disk we rent have a 2000 copyright on them and if that mean anything . anyway and the sound mix on these dvd be absolutely horrible . the level often yo yo ed up and down while when the scene cut to a battlefield panorama and the orchestral track would thunder so loudly that i do not know which would blow out first my eardrum or my speaker . when it be time for dialog and the volume would usually drop to something barely audible . occasionally and the orchestra and foley work would stay loud while the dialog be superimpose at a much less level . my wife and i find that the only way we could watch this movie at all from these dvd be if one of u keep a hand on the remote to continuously modulate the volume . and and like another user have already comment and when we select english audio the dialog keep switch back and forth between russian and english while and occasionally when the character speak in french on the native track the dubbing be in russian and so youre sol if you understand neither . ultimately and we give up watching after the first disk . before you fork out $ 50 plus for this movie on dvd for your own library and i would heartily recommend get your hand on a rental copy to see whether you can really enjoy this epic flick when burden by such bad sound and particularly if you have never read the book and really want to understand the storyline .