The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927)

In May 1913 the Romanov Dynasty celebrates its 300th anniversary at the Russian throne. The last emperor in the long line is Tsar Nicholas II. He rules over a country with huge social and ... See full summary »

Director:

Esfir Shub

Writers:

V.I. Lenin (letter A Letter from Afar), Esfir Shub

Stars:

Mikhail Alekseyev, Alexei Brusilov, Nikolai Chkheidze

Cast

Credited cast:
Mikhail Alekseyev	...	Self (with Tsar Nicholas) (archive footage)
Alexei Brusilov	...	Self (consults with another officer) (archive footage)
Nikolai Chkheidze	...	Self (chairman, 1st session, Petrograd Soviet) (archive footage)
Emperor Franz Josef	...	Self (reviews troops) (archive footage)
Vera Figner	...	Self (People's Will Party, in open car) (archive footage)
Grand Duchess Anastasia	...	Self (archive footage)
Grand Duchess Marie	...	Self (archive footage)
Grand Duchess Olga	...	Self (archive footage)
Grand Duchess Tatiana	...	Self (archive footage)
Aleksandr Guchkov	...	Self (archive footage)
Iliodor	...	Self (monk, Rasputin's rival) (archive footage) (as Illiodor)
Aleksandr Izvolsky	...	Self (ambassador to France, gets into carriage) (archive footage)
Joseph Joffre	...	Self (with Millerand) (archive footage)
Kaiser Wilhelm II	...	Self (archive footage)
Governor of Kaluga	...	Self (governor, Kaluga, with wife, dog, servants) (archive footage)

Storyline

In May 1913 the Romanov Dynasty celebrates its 300th anniversary at the Russian throne. The last emperor in the long line is Tsar Nicholas II. He rules over a country with huge social and economic differences. Russia is for the most part still an agrarian society, but capitalism and its industries are growing. In 1914 Russia gets involved in the First World War. Tsar Nicholas II declares a general mobilization. A vast number of peasants and workers have to go to the front as soldiers. After three years the country is ruined by the war, and there is a shortage of provisions. In February 1917 workers begin striking in the capital, Petrograd. Their protests are soon joined by soldiers. A complete anarchy is threatening the country, when the parliament, called the duma, reorganizes the power structure by forming a new Provisional Government. At the same time the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies forms another ruling body at the City Hall of Petrograd. In this situation Tsar ...

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Plot Keywords:

end of an era | bolshevik | imperialism | class struggle | year 1917 | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Histoire(s) du cinéma: Toutes les histoires (1989)

User Reviews

One-Sided View of History

This insight into the events leading up to the 1917 revolution wasn't anywhere near as interesting as I thought it was going to be, largely perhaps because it was presumably made under the watchful eye of the Communist dictatorship meaning that what ended up on screen was always going to be one sided. Although it begins by showing the various elements of the Russian political, religious and societal landscape, the film does tend to focus more on the little man and the peasants and the impact the Great War had on the possibility for a revolution to take place. The old order are largely portrayed as malevolently grinning buffoons while the likes of Lenin are barely glimpsed at all. And while we see many shots of large crowds gathered in the streets of St. Petersburg, we see no riots or bloodshed and, essentially, fail to really get a flavour of the times and of how much excitement must have been buzzing around the city streets in those heady days. Those poor mugs must really have believed the days of utopian bliss had arrived

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

None

Release Date:

11 March 1927 (Soviet Union)

Also Known As:

The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

Company Credits

Production Co:

Museum of the Revolution, Moscow, Sovkino

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1