Tempest (1958)

In 18th century Russia, Imperial officer Piotr Grinov is dispatched to a faraway isolated outpost where his loyalties are tested during the Pugachev Rebellion against the Empress Catherine II.

Director:

Alberto Lattuada

Writers:

Alexander Pushkin (novel), Ivo Perilli (screenplay)

Stars:

Silvana Mangano, Van Heflin, Viveca Lindfors

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Silvana Mangano	...	Masha
Van Heflin	...	Emelyan Pugachov
Viveca Lindfors	...	Catherine II
Geoffrey Horne	...	Piotr Grinov
Robert Keith	...	Capt. Miranov
Agnes Moorehead	...	Vassilissa Mironova
Oskar Homolka	...	Savelic
Helmut Dantine	...	Svabrin
Vittorio Gassman	...	Prosecutor
Fulvia Franco	...	Palaska
Finlay Currie	...	Count Grinov
Laurence Naismith	...	Maj. Zurin
Al Silvani	...	Pope Gerasim
Nevenka Mikulic	...	Akulina
Milivoje Zivanovic

Storyline

A young officer in the army of Empress Catherine of Russia is on his way to his new duty station at a remote outpost. During a blinding snowstorm he comes upon a stranger who was caught in the storm and is near death from freezing. He rescues the man and eventually brings him back to health. When the man is well enough to travel, the two part company and the man vows to repay the officer for saving his life. Soon after he arrives at his new post, a revolt by the local Cossacks breaks out and the fort is besieged by the rebels. The young officer is astonished to find out that the leader of the rebellious Cossacks is none other than the stranger whose life he had saved during the storm.

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Plot Keywords:

18th century | 1770s | cossack rebellion | peasant rebellion | imperial guard | 

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Taglines:

Overwhelming as the Elements!

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Genres:

Adventure | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy France Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

26 March 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tempest

Filming Locations:

Centralni Filmski Studio Kosutnjak, Belgrade, Serbia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Gray-Film, Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vittorio Gassman, possibly the biggest male star in Italy at the time, plays a one-scene cameo in this film, with special "guest star" billing. Years before, at the start of his film career, he had had a supporting role in another film version of the same Pushkin story, playing the role played in this version by Helmut Dantine.

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Quotes

Emelyan Pugachov: [his last lines in the film] Sometimes a bottle of vodka isn't just a bottle of vodka - it's a beginning!

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Connections

Featured in Cinema Komunisto (2010)

User Reviews

This film has combined aspects of a cheap Italian cast of

thousands "epic" AND, largely through the excellent acting of Van Heflin, Agnes Moorehead, and a couple other real actors and intelligent segments of the script, one of the better historical films. Van Heflin is totally believable as the pretender to the throne and is quite charismatic. If only, say, El Cid's Anthony Mann had directed, with Yakima Canutt as battle scene director, this movie could have been fantastic. As it is, the first battle scene, the storming of a fort, is largely wasted by thousands of ill-directed extras slogging forward. The last battle scene, however, has a certain sweep and indication of tactics that make it quite effective. Personally I think it Van Heflin's finest performance. A very much underrated actor.