''Raspoutine'' (russian: Распутин, Rasputin) is a 2011 Franco-Russian

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 ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

Josée Dayan Josée Dayan (born 6 October 1943 in Toulouse, France) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life Dayan grew up in Algiers, Algeria, where her father Albert Dagnant, who came from a Jewish family, worked as a television directo ...

and starring

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 alm ...

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumières Award. Early life Ardant was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Fr ...

Vladimir Mashkov Vladimir Lvovich Mashkov ( Russian: Владимир Львович Машков; born 27 November 1963) is a Soviet and Russian actor and director of cinema, known to Western audiences for his work in the 2001 film '' Behind Enemy Lines'' and 2 ...

and

Anna Mikhalkova Anna Nikitichna Mikhalkova (Russian: А́нна Ники́тична Михалко́ва; born 14 May 1974, in Moscow) is a Russian actress and model. Her film credits include '' Our Own'', '' Kokoko'' and ''Rasputin''. Her television credits ...

. It centers on the last year in the life of the Russian historical figure

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 ...

Plot

Exhausted by the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and shaken by internal social and political instability, the Russian Empire slowly and inexorably moves toward its collapse. Some of the well-born aristocrats and members of royal family decide that the only way to save the country is to expel the famous seer and healer Grigori Rasputin from

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. This is a simple Russian man without any formal titles, but Rasputin is very friendly with the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

and his

wife A wife (plural, : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally Dissolution (law), dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, ...

and has a huge influence on them. Princess

Zinaida Yusupova Princess Zinaida Nikolayevna Yusupova (russian: Зинаи́да Никола́евна Юсу́пова; 2 September 1861 – 24 November 1939) was an Imperial Russian noblewoman, the only heiress of Russia's largest private fortune of her t ...

tries to explain to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna the harmfulness of her friendship with Rasputin, trying to prove that Rasputin terribly discredits not only the entire royal power, but also the Empress personally. Rasputin, however, regularly cures the only son of the Empress from attacks of

haemophilia Haemophilia, or hemophilia (), is a mostly inherited genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, a process needed to stop bleeding. This results in people bleeding for a longer time after an injury, easy bruising, ...

, and therefore Alexandra never drives out "the holy elder". Seeing that her entreaties are useless, Princess Yusupova decides to act alone. She persuades her son

Felix Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...

to organize a plot to murder Rasputin.

Cast

–

(Russian voice by

Sergei Garmash Sergei Leonidovich Garmash (russian: Серге́й Леони́дович Гарма́ш; born 1 September 1958) is a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor. He is a People's Artist of Russia. In 2013 he was a member of the jury at the 35th Mosc ...

) *

– Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (Russian voice by

Marina Neyolova Marina Mstislavovna Neyolova (russian: Мари́на Мстисла́вовна Неёлова; born 8 January 1947) is a Soviet and Russian stage and film actress. She has appeared in 37 films since 1969. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1987). ...

) *

– Russian Emperor

Nicholas II of Russia 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 ...

–

Anna Vyrubova Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova (''née'' Taneyeva; russian: А́нна Алекса́ндровна Вы́рубова (Тане́ева)); 16 July 1884 – 20 July 1964) was a Russian Empire lady-in-waiting, the best friend and confidante of Tsarina ...

Irina Alfyorova Irina Ivanovna Alfyorova PARZinaida Yusupova Princess Zinaida Nikolayevna Yusupova (russian: Зинаи́да Никола́евна Юсу́пова; 2 September 1861 – 24 November 1939) was an Imperial Russian noblewoman, the only heiress of Russia's largest private fortune of her t ...

Filipp Yankovsky Filipp Olegovich Yankovsky (russian: Фили́пп Оле́гович Янко́вский) is a Russian actor and film director. He was born on October 10, 1968, to actor Oleg Yankovsky. Life and career Filipp Yankovsky was born October 10, 196 ...

–

Felix Yusupov Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (russian: Князь Фе́ликс Фе́ликсович Юсу́пов, Граф Сумаро́ков-Эльстон, Knyaz' Féliks Féliksovich Yusúpov, Graf Sumarókov-El'ston; – ...

Natalya Shvets Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking stat ...

–

Irina Yusupova Countess Irina Felixovna Sheremeteva (née Princess Yusupova; russian: Графиня Ирина Феликсовна Шереметева née Княгиня Юсупова; 21 March 1915, Petrograd, Russian Empire – 30 August 1983), known affe ...

Leonid Mozgovoy Leonid (russian: Леонид ; uk, Леонід ; be, Леанід, Ljeaníd ) is a Slavic version of the given name Leonidas. The French version is Leonide. People with the name include: *Leonid Andreyev (1871–1919), Russian playwright a ...

– Makary the priest *

Danila Kozlovsky Danila Valeryevich Kozlovsky (russian: link=no, Данила Валерьевич Козловский; born 3 May 1985) is a Russian actor and director. Biography Early life and career Danila Kozlovsky was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet ...

–

Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia 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 ...

Konstantin Khabensky Konstantin Yurievich Khabensky, PAR (russian: link=no, Константин Юрьевич Хабенский; born 11 January 1972) is a Russian actor of stage and film, director and philanthropist. From 1997 he was part of the Saint Petersbu ...

– Aron Simanovich, Rasputin's personal secretary *

Kseniya Rappoport Kseniya Aleksandrovna Rappoport (russian: link=no, Ксе́ния Алекса́ндровна Раппопо́рт; born 25 March 1974) is a Russian actress. She graduated in 2000 from Saint Petersburg Academy of Theatrical Arts and was immedi ...

– Maria ("Munya") Golovina, Rasputin's votaress and secretary *

Yuliya Snigir Yuliya Viktorovna Snigir (russian: link=no, Юлия Викторовна Снигирь; born 2 June 1983) is a Russian actress and model. Life and career Yuliya Snigir was born in Donskoy, Tula Oblast, Russian SFSR. She graduated from high s ...

– Dora *

Yuri Kolokolnikov Yuri Andreyevich Kolokolnikov (russian: Юрий Андреевич Колокольников; born 15 December 1980) is a Russian stage and film actor. In the West, Kolokolnikov is best known for his performance as Styr in the television series ...

– Oswald Rayner *

Igor Sergeyev Igor Dmitriyevich Sergeyev (; 20 April 1938 – 10 November 2006) was a Soviet and later Russian military officer who was Minister of Defense of Russia from 22 May 1997 to 28 March 2001. He was the first and, as of 2022, the only Marshal of the ...

–

Vladimir Purishkevich Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich ( rus, Влади́мир Митрофа́нович Пуришке́вич, p=pʊrʲɪˈʂkʲevʲɪt͡ɕ; , Kishinev – 1 February 1920, Novorossiysk, Russia) was a far-right politician in Imperial Russia, no ...

* Sergey Zamorev –

Boris Stürmer Baron Boris Vladimirovich Shturmer (russian: Бори́с Влади́мирович Штю́рмер) (27 July 1848 – 9 September 1917) was a Russian lawyer, a Master of Ceremonies at the Russian Court, and a district governor. He became a m ...

Ernst Romanov Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975-) ...

–

George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...

* Petr Gavrilyuk –

Eugene Botkin Yevgeny Sergeyevich Botkin (russian: Евгений Сергеевич Боткин; 27 March 1865 – 17 July 1918), commonly known as Eugene Botkin, was the court physician since 1908 for Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. He sometimes ...

* Tamara Kolesnikova – Dowager Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna *

Victor Kostetskiy Victor Aleksandrovich Kostetskiy (; 12 April 1941 – 6 November 2014) was a Russian and Soviet actor. Biography Kosteskiy was born in Zhmerynka. He lived in St. Petersburg. He spent eighteen months in the graphic arts department of the Herz ...

– archimandrite * Alexander Ryazantsev – Russian Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich

Production

The main shooting for the film took place in Russia, particularly in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

(

Smolny Convent Smolny Convent or Smolny Convent of the Resurrection (''Voskresensky'', Russian: Воскресенский новодевичий Смольный монастырь), located on Ploschad Rastrelli (Rastrelli Square), on the left bank of the Riv ...

and

Moika Palace The Palace of the Yusupovs on the Moika (russian: Дворец Юсуповых на Мойке), known as the Moika Palace or Yusupov Palace, is a former residence of the Russian noble House of Yusupov in St. Petersburg, Russia, now a museum. ...

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

(

Catherine Palace The Catherine Palace (russian: Екатерининский дворец, ) is a Rococo palace in Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 30 km south of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. The Palace is part of the ...

and the

Alexander Palace The Alexander Palace (russian: Александровский дворец, ''Alexandrovskiy dvorets'') is a former imperial residence near the town of Tsarskoye Selo in Russia, on a plateau about south of Saint Petersburg. The Palace was c ...

. Some scenes of the film were shot in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

. According to Gérard Depardieu, some changes to the film's script were made personally by

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

References

External links

* 2011 television films 2011 films 2010s biographical films Russian biographical films French biographical films 2010s Russian-language films Mosfilm films Russian multilingual films French multilingual films 2011 multilingual films Films directed by Josée Dayan 2010s French films {{Russia-film-stub