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Boris Godunov

  • 19541954
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
78
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
469,419
223,922
Boris Godunov (1954)
DramaMusic
Action happens at the end of the 16th century, on the eve of "time of troubles". The main character of this historical tragedy - the Russian tsar Boris Godunov who has ascended to a throne a... Read allAction happens at the end of the 16th century, on the eve of "time of troubles". The main character of this historical tragedy - the Russian tsar Boris Godunov who has ascended to a throne after Ivan the Terrible after tragic events: death of the eldest son of Grozny Fedor and de... Read allAction happens at the end of the 16th century, on the eve of "time of troubles". The main character of this historical tragedy - the Russian tsar Boris Godunov who has ascended to a throne after Ivan the Terrible after tragic events: death of the eldest son of Grozny Fedor and death of the young tsarevitch Dimitrii.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
78
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
469,419
223,922
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Vera Stroyeva
    • Writers
      • Modest Mussorgsky(libretto)
      • Alexander Pushkin(play "Boris Godunov")
      • Vera Stroyeva(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Aleksandr Pirogov
      • Nikandr Khanayev
      • Georgi Nelepp
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Vera Stroyeva
    • Writers
      • Modest Mussorgsky(libretto)
      • Alexander Pushkin(play "Boris Godunov")
      • Vera Stroyeva(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Aleksandr Pirogov
      • Nikandr Khanayev
      • Georgi Nelepp
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 6User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos

    Boris Godunov (1954)
    Boris Godunov (1954)
    Boris Godunov (1954)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Aleksandr Pirogov
    • Boris Godunov
    Nikandr Khanayev
    • Prince Vasili Shinsky
    Georgi Nelepp
    • Grigori, the False Dmitri
    • (as G. Nellep)
    Maksim Mikhaylov
    • Pimen, a monk
    Ivan Kozlovsky
    • The Fool
    Aleksey Krivchenya
    • Varlaam
    • (as A. Krivchenya)
    Veniamin Shevtsov
    • Misala, a monk
    • (as V. Shevtsov)
    A. Turchina
    • Innkeeper's wife
    Larisa Avdeyeva
    • Marina
    G. Allakhverdov
    D. Bedrosiyi
    Igor Bogdanov
      Yu. Filin
      Fyodor Godovkin
      • Khrishov
      • (as F. Godovkin)
      V. Gorbunov
      Ivan Ionov
        Isandr Khmelnitsky
        • Fedor Godunov
        • (as I. Khmelnitsky)
        N. Klyagina
        • Kseniya Godunova
        • Director
          • Vera Stroyeva
        • Writers
          • Modest Mussorgsky(libretto)
          • Alexander Pushkin(play "Boris Godunov")
          • Vera Stroyeva(screenplay)
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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        Storyline

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        Did you know

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        • Connections
          Featured in Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession (1973)

        User reviews6

        Review
        Top review
        8/10
        An excellent if flawed film version of a Russian operatic masterwork
        Boris Godunov for me is the greatest of Russian operas and one of the finest operas there is too. This film version is excellent but it is not perfect at the same time. This is an abridged version of the opera, understandably as the opera is very long, which will make some despair. I didn't think all the cuts were bad, but a couple were so badly chopped that some scenes lost their impact. Act 3 is badly truncated to the extent that you are confused as to what is going on. I also didn't care for Fyodor's voice, to hear a high-pitched mezzo voice for a young boy really jarred for me. However, it is beautifully shot and the costumes and locations are splendid, with imaginative lighting, intoxicating shots of the Kremlin arches and a very realistic-looking burning city. As are the musical values, there is a lot of authentic Slavic flavour in the orchestral playing and conducting that in recent memory has only been replicated in my mind by Valery Gergiev. The chorus also sing powerfully.

        The singing and acting of the principals is magnificent. Aleksandr Pirogov is one of the finest Boris Godunovs alongside Chaliapin, Christoff and Talvela. He does at times have a wobble to his voice, but there is also a dark sonority and command to it as well. One cannot deny either that this is a powerful reading of the tormented tsar, especially gripping in the justifiably famous Monologue. Part of you does wish that the Simpleton had more of a prominent role, he only has two scenes, but it is still important to the story. Ivan Kozlovsky sings and acts with eeriness, passion and poignancy. Maxim Mikhailov is a Pimen of great authority with a nobility to his sound, while Nikandr Khanaev's Shiusky is sly and malevolent. Aleksej Krivchenya is appropriately cunning as Varlaam, while Georgi Nelepp is an appealing Grigori and Larisa Avdeyeva likewise as Marina. Overall, flawed but still an excellent Boris Godunov. 8/10 Bethany Cox
        helpful•4
        0
        • TheLittleSongbird
        • Sep 5, 2012

        Details

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        • Release date
          • January 21, 1956 (United States)
        • Country of origin
          • Soviet Union
        • Language
          • Russian
        • Also known as
          • Boris Godunow
        • Production company
          • Mosfilm
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Technical specs

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        • Runtime
          1 hour 50 minutes
        • Sound mix
          • Mono
        • Aspect ratio
          • 1.37 : 1

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