''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film directed by

Franklin J. Schaffner Franklin James Schaffner (May 30, 1920July 2, 1989) was an American film, television, and stage director. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for ''Patton'' (1970), and is known for the films ''Planet of the Apes'' (1968), ''Nicholas and Al ...

, from a screenplay by James Goldman and

Edward Bond Edward Bond (born 18 July 1934) is an English playwright, theatre director, poet, theorist and screenwriter. He is the author of some fifty plays, among them '' Saved'' (1965), the production of which was instrumental in the abolition of the ...

based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name. It tells the story of the last ruling Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia ( Michael Jayston), and his wife, Tsarina

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

( Janet Suzman), from 1904 until their deaths in 1918. The

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to ...

includes Tom Baker as

Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus g ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

as Sergei Witte, Brian Cox as Leon Trotsky, Ian Holm as Vasily Yakovlev, and Vivian Pickles as

Nadezhda Krupskaya Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya ( rus, links=no, Надежда Константиновна Крупская, p=nɐˈdʲeʐdə kənstɐnˈtʲinəvnə ˈkrupskəjə; 27 February 1939) was a Russian revolutionary and the wife of Vladimir Lenin ...

. The film was theatrically released on 13 December 1971 by Columbia Pictures to mixed reviews and commercial failure, grossing $7 million on a $9 million budget. Regardless, the film received six nominations at the

44th Academy Awards The 44th Academy Awards were presented April 10, 1972, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jack Lemmon. One of the highlights of the evening was the ...

, including for Best Picture and Best Actress (Suzman), and won two:

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

and Best Costume Design.

Plot

In 1904, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, gives birth to their fifth child and first son,

Alexei Alexey, Alexei, Alexie, Aleksei, or Aleksey (russian: Алексе́й ; bg, Алексей ) is a Russian and Bulgarian male first name deriving from the Greek ''Aléxios'' (), meaning "Defender", and thus of the same origin as the Latin ...

. Despite pleas from

Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholas Romanov may refer to: * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), third son of Paul I & Tsaritsa Maria Fedorovna; younger brother of Alexander I, ascended 1825 * Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia (1843–1865), eldest son of Emperor ...

and prime minister Count Sergei Witte, Nicholas refuses to end the Russo-Japanese War or accept demands for a constitutional monarchy, believing that doing either will make him look weak. The following year, Alexandra meets

, a Siberian peasant posing as a holy man, at a gala celebrating the birthday of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna; she soon turns to Rasputin for spiritual guidance after court physician Eugene Botkin diagnoses Alexei with haemophilia. In response to increasing public unrest, Orthodox priest Father Georgy Gapon leads a procession of workers to the Winter Palace, hoping to present Nicholas with a petition calling for political representation. Armed soldiers open fire on the crowd as they approach, killing hundreds. The events of Bloody Sunday, coupled with the humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, prompt Nicholas to create the Duma. Eight years later, Nicholas meets with Prime Minister

Pyotr Stolypin Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin ( rus, Пётр Арка́дьевич Столы́пин, p=pʲɵtr ɐrˈkadʲjɪvʲɪtɕ stɐˈlɨpʲɪn; – ) was a Russian politician and statesman. He served as the third prime minister and the interior minist ...

while holidaying at the Livadia Palace with his family. Stolypin presents Nicholas with police reports about Rasputin's dissolute behavior, which is damaging the Tsar's reputation; Nicholas dismisses Rasputin from the court. Alexandra demands his return, as she believes only Rasputin can stop Alexei's bleeding attacks, but Nicholas stands firm. The 1913 Romanov Tercentenary celebrations occur and a lavish Royal Tour across

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

ensues, but crowds are thin. Other national festivities and Church celebrations go ahead, but at an event at the

Kiev Opera House The Kyiv Opera group was formally established in the summer of 1867, and is the third oldest in Ukraine, after Odessa Opera and Lviv Opera. The Kyiv Opera Company perform at the National Opera House of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko in ...

, Stolypin is assassinated. Nicholas responds by executing the assassins, permitting the police to terrorize the peasants, and dissolving the Duma. Alexei falls at the Spała Hunting Lodge, which leads to a bleeding attack so severe that it is presumed he will die. The Tsarina writes to Rasputin, who responds with words of comfort. Alexei recovers and Rasputin returns. When World War I begins, Nicholas, refusing to heed his advisors and believing his familial connections with the royal houses of Europe will protect him, orders a full mobilization of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

on the German border. Germany responds by declaring war and activating a series of its alliances that escalates the war. A year later, with the war going badly for Russia on the Eastern Front, Alexandra persuades Nicholas to take personal command of the troops; he leaves for the front, taking over from the experienced but weary Grand Duke Nicholas. Alexandra is left with significant power in St. Petersburg and, under Rasputin's influence, makes a series of poor decisions that further damage the country. Nicholas is visited by his mother Dowager Empress Feodorovna, who scolds him for neglecting domestic issues and implores him to eliminate Rasputin and send Alexandra to Livadia. Concerned about Rasputin's influence,

Grand Duke Dmitri Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia (russian: Великий Князь Дмитрий Павлович; 18 September 1891 – 5 March 1942) was a son of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and a ...

and Prince Felix Yusupov assassinate him at a party in 1916; distraught, Alexandra refuses to govern and orders Dmitri's assassination, but is coldly rebuffed. Even with Rasputin dead, Alexandra continues her misrule. The army is ill-supplied, starving, and openly defiant, and freezing workers revolt in St. Petersburg in March 1917. Nicholas decides to return to Tsarskoye Selo too late and is forced to abdicate on his train. The family, with Dr. Botkin and attendants, leave Tsarskoye Selo and are exiled by Alexander Kerensky to Tobolsk in Siberia in August 1917 after none of Russia's

allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, to whom he appealed for political asylum, including Nicholas' cousin George V of the United Kingdom, will grant them sanctuary because of Nicholas' abuses of power. They live in a spartan house in the tundra with decent guards. In October 1917, Russia falls to the Bolsheviks, who intend to take the royal family to Moscow to stand trial. However, when Moscow is captured by the White Army during the Russian Civil War, the royals are diverted to Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. Under harsher conditions, they are guarded by the cold-blooded Yakov Yurovsky and his anti-royalist troops. The family receives a batch of withheld letters from friends and relatives and laugh together as they read through them. In the early hours of 17 July 1918, the Bolsheviks awaken the family and Dr. Botkin, telling them they must be transferred again. As they are waiting in the cellar, Yurovsky and his assistants enter the room and open fire.

Cast

Credits adapted from th
American Film Institute
;The Imperial Family * Michael Jayston as

Nicholas II Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...

, the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

* Janet Suzman as

, his wife, the Tsarina *

Roderic Noble Roderic Noble (born 3 October 1957) is an English former child actor, best known for his role as Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia, Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov in the 1971 film, ''Nicholas and Alexandra''. Noble was born in Darley, ...

, their son, the Tsesarevich * Ania Marson as

Olga Olga may refer to: People and fictional characters * Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha * Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga" Places Russia * Olga, Russia, ...

, the eldest child * Lynne Frederick as Tatiana, the second child *

Candace Glendenning Candace Glendenning (born 9 August 1953) is a retired English actress, known for her work in the horror film genre in the 1970s as a " scream queen". She also had a long and diverse career in British television throughout the late 60s to early 80 ...

as Marie, the third child. * Fiona Fullerton as Anastasia, the youngest daughter. * Harry Andrews as Nikolasha, Nicholas's cousin * Irene Worth as Marie Fedorovna, The Queen Mother ;The Imperial Household * Tom Baker as

* Jack Hawkins as Vladimir, the Minister of the Imperial Court * Timothy West as Dr. Botkin, the court physician * Jean-Claude Drouot as Gilliard, the children's Swiss tutor * John Hallam as Nagorny, a young sailor who is Alexis's faithful personal bodyguard * Guy Rolfe as Dr. Fedorov, the Imperial Court Surgeon * John Wood as Col. Kobylinsky, the Romanovs' captor * Katharine Schofield as Alexandra Tegleva, the nursemaid ;The Statesmen *

as Count Witte, the Prime Minister * Michael Redgrave as Sazonov, the Foreign Minister * Eric Porter as

Stolypin Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin ( rus, Пётр Арка́дьевич Столы́пин, p=pʲɵtr ɐrˈkadʲjɪvʲɪtɕ stɐˈlɨpʲɪn; – ) was a Russian politician and statesman. He served as the third prime minister and the interior minist ...

, the Prime Minister after Witte * Maurice Denham as Kokovtsov, the Prime Minister after Stolypin * John McEnery as

Kerensky Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky, ; original spelling: ( – 11 June 1970) was a Russian lawyer and revolutionary who led the Russian Provisional Government and the short-lived Russian Republic for three months from late July to early Novembe ...

, leader of the Russian Provisional Government * Gordon Gostelow as Guchkov, War Minister of the Russian Provisional Government * Ralph Truman as

Rodzianko Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko (russian: Михаи́л Влади́мирович Родзя́нко; uk, Михайло Володимирович Родзянко; 21 February 1859, Yekaterinoslav Governorate – 24 January 1924, Beod ...

, chairman of the Duma ;The Revolutionaries * Michael Bryant as Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks * Vivian Pickles as

Krupskaya Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya ( rus, links=no, Надежда Константиновна Крупская, p=nɐˈdʲeʐdə kənstɐnˈtʲinəvnə ˈkrupskəjə; 27 February 1939) was a Russian revolutionary and the wife of Vladimir Lenin ...

, Lenin's wife * Brian Cox as Trotsky * James Hazeldine as Stalin * Ian Holm as Yakovlev *

Alan Webb Alan Webb may refer to: * Alan Webb (actor) (1906–1982), English actor * Alan Webb (runner) (born 1983), American track athlete * Alan Webb (footballer) (born 1963), retired English association football player See also

* Allan Webb (disambigu ...

Yurovsky Yurovsky may mean two related surnames. It is a Russian surname, a variant of the Polish surname Jurowski and the Slovak surname Jurovský. Notable people with the surnames include: *Vladimir Mikhailovich Yurovsky *Yakov Yurovsky (1878–1938), Sov ...

* Stephen Greif as

Martov Julius Martov or L. Martov (Ма́ртов; born Yuliy Osipovich Tsederbaum; 24 November 1873 – 4 April 1923) was a politician and revolutionary who became the leader of the Mensheviks in early 20th-century Russia. He was arguably the closes ...

Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff (born Leslie Steven Berks; 3 August 1937) is an English actor, author, playwright, theatre practitioner and theatre director. As a theatre maker he is recognised for staging work with a heightened performance style eponymously k ...

Pankratov Pankratov (russian: Панкратов) is a Russian surname. People with this surname include: * B. I. Pankratov (1892–1979), Russian linguist *Denis Pankratov (born 1974), Russian swimmer *Nikolay Pankratov (born 1982), Russian cross-country ski ...

( ru) * Leon Lissek as Avadeyev * David Giles as Goloshchyokin ;Other characters * Roy Dotrice as General Alexeiev * Richard Warwick as Grand Duke Dmitry, the Tsar's cousin * Martin Potter as Prince Yusupov, one of Rasputin's assassins * Vernon Dobtcheff as Dr. Stanislaus de Lazovert, one of Rasputin's assassins *

Curt Jürgens Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and i ...

as Georg Sklarz, the German Consul to Switzerland * Julian Glover as Georgy Gapon, priest and protest leader * Alexander Knox as

Elihu Root Elihu Root (; February 15, 1845February 7, 1937) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and statesman who served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in the early twentieth century. He also served as United States Senator from N ...

, the American Ambassador * Ralph Neville as George Buchanan, the British Ambassador *

George Rigaud Pedro Jorge Rigato Delissetche,George Rigaud

as Maurice Paléologue, the French Ambassador * John Shrapnel as Petya, a Bolshevik proletarian * Diana Quick as Sonya, Petya's wife * John Forbes-Robertson as Colonel Voikov

Production

Development

Producer Spiegel tackled ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' when he was shut out from working with director

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

on '' Doctor Zhivago'', which was also set against the backdrop of revolutionary Russia. Spiegel had alienated Lean when the two worked together on the film '' Lawrence of Arabia'', pressing the perfectionist director in order to get the movie finished on time. Spiegel initially tried to make ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' without buying the rights to the book by Robert K. Massie, claiming that the historical account was in public domain but, eventually, Spiegel purchased the rights and hired writer James Goldman to adapt Massie's book as a screenplay. Goldman, who had written the popular play and film ''

The Lion in Winter ''The Lion in Winter'' is a 1966 play by James Goldman, depicting the personal and political conflicts of Henry II of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their children and their guests during Christmas 1183. It premiered on Broadway at the ...

'', labored on draft after draft as directors came and went ( George Stevens, Anthony Harvey, Joseph Mankiewicz, Charles Jarrot, Jack Gold,

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

, Lindsay Anderson, and

John Boorman Sir John Boorman (; born 18 January 1933) is a British film director, best known for feature films such as ''Point Blank'' (1967), ''Hell in the Pacific'' (1968), ''Deliverance'' (1972), ''Zardoz'' (1974), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), ...

were all attached to the project at one point). After seeing ''Patton'', Goldman recommended

Filming

Spiegel turned to former collaborators John Box for production design, and cinematographer Freddie Young (''Lawrence of Arabia'') to give the production the epic touch he felt it needed. Principal photography took place in Spain and Yugoslavia. Spiegel had to work with stricter budget constraints from Columbia Studios than before. He had wanted

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic ...

as Rasputin and Vanessa Redgrave as Alexandra but was constrained. Notable actors such as

, Irene Worth, Michael Redgrave and Jack Hawkins appeared in the film, but actor

Rex Harrison Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He made his West End debut in 1936 appearing in the Terence Rattigan play ''French Without Tears'', in what ...

turned down a supporting role as too small. Tom Baker, a member of the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, was recommended for the role of Rasputin by Laurence Olivier, then the director of the company.

Reception

Despite the detailed production design, photography, and strong performances from the cast, ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' failed to find the large audience it needed to be a financial success. However, it was chosen by the American National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 Films of 1971. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 67% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 57 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

of the '' Chicago Sun Times'' gave it two-and-a-half stars out of four, writing "If the movie isn't exactly stirring, however, it is undeniably interesting, especially after the intermission." '' Halliwell's Film and Video Guide'' described ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' as an "inflated epic of occasional interest, mainly for its sets" and "generally heavy going", awarding it one star from a possible four. In 2013, Alex von Tunzelmann wrote for '' The Guardian'', "''Nicholas and Alexandra'' boasts terrific performances and gorgeous production design, but it's bloated and unwieldy. There is more history here than the film-makers know what to do with." For ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'', Tom Hutchinson awarded the film three stars out of five, describing it as a "sumptuous, if overlong, epic" which "shows the stretchmarks of too much padding" and "overwhelms us with its detail, though Tom Baker is a lot of fun as the leering mystic Rasputin". Stanley Kauffmann of '' The New Republic'' described the film as 'flabby'.

Historical accuracy

There is at least one anachronism; Peter Stolypin had been assassinated in 1911, two years before the Romanov dynasty tercentenary in which he is portrayed as being alive before being assassinated.

Awards and nominations

Home media

''Nicholas and Alexandra'' received a home video release on VHS in 1987 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and reissued in the 1990s by Columbia Tristar Home Video. Its DVD release was on 27 July 1999 from

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...

. The DVD featured a vintage 14-minute featurette on the production of the film and six more minutes of scenes and dialogue not found on previous VHS tapes. The film received a Blu-ray release in February 2013 from Twilight Time. The Blu-ray featured three featurettes on the production of the film covering the makeup, costume designs and actresses playing the Tsar's daughters in the film. It also contained the original theatrical trailer as well as an isolated music score. The latter was presented in stereo even though the sound on the Blu-ray was presented in mono. The Blu-ray release was limited to only 3,000 copies. This film is also available for sale or rent as a video online download through both Amazon and Apple's

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

Store, with Amazon's online file containing the six more minutes of scenes and dialogue that Apple's iTunes file doesn't.

Soundtrack

This soundtrack was written by Richard Rodney Bennett.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas And Alexandra 1971 films 1970s biographical drama films 1970s historical drama films British biographical drama films British epic films British historical drama films Biographical films about Russian royalty Cultural depictions of Nicholas II of Russia Cultural depictions of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia Films about Grigori Rasputin Cultural depictions of Vladimir Lenin Cultural depictions of Joseph Stalin Films about capital punishment Films directed by Franklin J. Schaffner Films produced by Sam Spiegel Films scored by Richard Rodney Bennett Films set in Poland Films set in the 1900s Films set in the 1910s Cultural depictions of Leon Trotsky Films that won the Best Costume Design Academy Award Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award Russian Revolution films British World War I films Horizon Pictures films Columbia Pictures films Films shot in Spain Films based on works by American writers Films based on non-fiction books Films with screenplays by James Goldman 1971 drama films Films shot in Yugoslavia Films set in 1904 Films set in 1905 Films set in 1913 Films set in 1914 Films set in 1916 Films set in 1917 Films set in 1918 Films set in Saint Petersburg Films about the Russian Empire Films set in Siberia 1970s English-language films 1970s British films