Romanovy: Ventsenosnaya semya (2000)

Director:

Gleb Panfilov

Writers:

Inna Churikova (writer)
Gleb Panfilov (writer)

Release Date:

19 July 2000 (Russia)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot Keywords:

Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna | Russia | Red Army | Abdication | Execution

Cast

Aleksandr Galibin	...	Emperor Nicholas II
Lynda Bellingham	...	Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna
Vladimir Grachyov	...	The Grand Duke, Prince Aleksei Nikolayevich
Yuliya Novikova	...	Grand Duchess Olga Nikolayevna
Kseniya Kachalina	...	Grand Duchess Tatyana Nikolayevna
Olga Vasilyeva	...	Grand Duchess Mariya Nikolayevna
Olga Budina	...	Grand Duchess Anastasiya Nikolayevna
Andrei Kharitonov	...	Pierre Gilliard
Ernst Romanov	...	Doctor Botkin
Vsevolod Sobolev	...	Doctor Derevenko
Vladimir Konkin	...	Col. Kobylinsky
Vladimir Shiryayev	...	Count Benkendorf
Nikolai Penkov	...	Gen. Tatishchev
Valeri Khromushkin	...	Prince Dolgoruky
Igor Dmitriyev	...	Baron Friderix

Also Known As:

The Romanovs: A Crowned Family (International: English title)
The Romanovs: An Imperial Family (USA)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Filming Locations:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Company:

Goskino

Trivia:

Outside and inside shots were actually taken at the Alexander Palace, the official home of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Inside shots included the Tsar's study. Although they remade the rooms of the Grand Duchesses from water colors and photographs.

Goofs:

Continuity: The hair of the Grand Duchesses never seems to grow after their heads are shaved despite the fact that they till lived for another year.

Quotes:

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolayevna: [enters and leaves the room in a hurry] Oh! Papa, I am sorry... Good Morning, Eugenie Stepanovitch.
Grand Duchess Mariya Nikolayevna: [opens the door agitated] Papa, did Anastasia run through?
Emperor Nicholas II: Yes she did... And very fast. What happened?
Grand Duchess Mariya Nikolayevna: Papa, she's become intolerable. She ran away with my Maupassant.
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolayevna: [Anastasia appears behind her and returns the book] Here it is, greedy, read it!

A very rare and inspiring film about spiritual hope in the face of certain tragedy

I was expecting little of this film, but was so pleasantly surprised after I had finished watching it. In fact the last time I was so pleasantly surprised was in 1994 after seeing the Shawshank Redemption for the first time in its last week playing in the theatres.

I feel this movie should at least have been nominated for best foreign picture.

This movie is an accurate historical depiction of the final year and a half of life of the Russian royal family prior to their tragic execution in 1918 by Bolsheviks. A film about execution and tragedy often falls flat on its face because the viewer walks away feeling empty, sad, and depressed, but here is an entirely different situation.

The director paints a true picture of the love all family members had for one another, and at the same time shows the type of callous and cynical people were in power after the revolution.

Finally we are showed footage of the canonization of the family as martyrs for the manner in which they accepted their death, without any prejudice to their evil executioners.

It is a heavy film, but one that does inspire. This film is incredible, if at least for its accurate historical re-enactment.