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The contradictions of the human race...
Apr. 4th, 2008 05:52 pmWatched 'Nicholas and Alexandra' last night after ordering the DVD from HMV a couple of weeks back. I've never watched a historical film that lasted over 3 hours long but the long running time was worth it since, like 'Downfall', the film gave a great insight into how we as the human race are able to create such beauty, e.g. music, love, the arts, architecture and yet be able to commit such horrible crimes for what seemed to be the "greater good". It could be said that the film was a great recap of the history we learned in Mr Campion's lessons at GCSE...(he actually did use this film in a couple of lessons, lol)
Michael Jayston was Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russias as well as of the Romanov dynasty. I must admit that after watching three hours of him in a glorious beard and moustache like that of Nicholas II and then immediately watching clips of him as the clean-shaven Mr Rochester was somewhat disconcerting but that's not important and I'm just weird like that. He played a brilliant performance as the beleaguered ruler whose main fault is that he 'can't say no to his wife' as the Tsar's mother accuses him of doing in a heated scene between mother and son as the Tsar fails to achieve victory for Russia in WWI -- the latter situation being the final nail in the coffin for a ruler already hated for his tyrannical, autocratic policies and his failure to see into the ordinary Russian psyche and understand what exactly the people need of him. With worker strikes, bread riots and growing discontent amongst the Russian people and revolution on the brink, the Army then joins the people and refuses to obey the orders of the Tsar and Nicholas has no choice but to abdicate his throne and end 300 years of Romanov rule. Then comes the heart-wrenching scene when he returns to his summer palace in the city, his ceremonial guards and faithful servants gone...only to be replaced with shabby-looking Russian civilians who stare at him as he makes his way inside, collapsing in tears to his knees and begging forgiveness from his shocked wife, Alexandra -- who has always told him to stand up for himself and never give in to his ministers (a tactic which leads him to his downfall). That particular scene highlights the fact that Nicholas II was never meant to be a Tsar and didn't have the right qualities for it -- he was most likely a family man through and through, persuaded too easily by those around him and was hoodwinked by his God given right to be ruler of his people. You associate mostly with him throughout the story, much to Jayston's credit whose acting is sublime, and understand the extent of his realisation of the mistakes he committed in the past..."If there is hate in their hearts," he notes gravely near the end about the Russian people, "I put it there."
Janet Suzman was Alexandra...the Tsarina is obviously very much in love with her husband but at times, her hot-headedness and her refusal to see the disastrous situation unfolding about her also leads to her husband's downfall. Her mind-boggling dependence on Rasputin who she sees as the only man capable of healing her son who is suffering from hemophilia causes great unpopularity amongst the people who already see her as a foreigner due to her German origins and leads to the unfortunate rumour that there is much more to the relationship between the holy man and the Tsarina behind the Tsar's back as he assumes the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army at the war front. Her constant criticism of Nicholas' weakness as a Tsar and his inability to stand up for himself in turn causes him to be reckless in order to please his wife -- ignoring calls for a Russian parliament, ignoring pleas from a senior advisor to not go to war (marvellously played by Sir Laurence Olivier) who ominously predicts that "none of us will be alive when this war ends".
I found myself recognising a couple of actors who were still in their early acting careers in the film, such as the likes of Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in LOTR), Julian Glover and John Wood and it was nice to see them all, note that they looked familiar and realise exactly who they were. The opulence of the palaces in comparison to the grimy conditions of the ordinary Russian people was obvious, emphasising the fact that one can have so much beauty yet so much devastation in the world and even in the same country. The infamous execution of the Romanovs was tragically well-covered in the film, leaving the audience with the image of bloodstained walls and bullet holes in the walls of the notorious cellar in which the family was murdered by Red soldiers who feared that in the midst of the Russian Civil War that the Whites (those supporting the Tsar and freedom from communism) would be able to rescue the family and use them to promote the cause. It only reinforced my opinion that even though the Tsar was partly responsible for his downfall and the discontent of the populace, he and his family certainly did not deserve to die in such a horrendous manner, only to have their bodies doused with acid and petrol (thankfully not shown in the film) and thrown down a mineshaft to prevent identification. Again, this only highlights the contradictions of us as the human race and makes me take a hard look at myself as well everyone else and wonder what on earth we're doing here.
Michael Jayston was Tsar Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russias as well as of the Romanov dynasty. I must admit that after watching three hours of him in a glorious beard and moustache like that of Nicholas II and then immediately watching clips of him as the clean-shaven Mr Rochester was somewhat disconcerting but that's not important and I'm just weird like that. He played a brilliant performance as the beleaguered ruler whose main fault is that he 'can't say no to his wife' as the Tsar's mother accuses him of doing in a heated scene between mother and son as the Tsar fails to achieve victory for Russia in WWI -- the latter situation being the final nail in the coffin for a ruler already hated for his tyrannical, autocratic policies and his failure to see into the ordinary Russian psyche and understand what exactly the people need of him. With worker strikes, bread riots and growing discontent amongst the Russian people and revolution on the brink, the Army then joins the people and refuses to obey the orders of the Tsar and Nicholas has no choice but to abdicate his throne and end 300 years of Romanov rule. Then comes the heart-wrenching scene when he returns to his summer palace in the city, his ceremonial guards and faithful servants gone...only to be replaced with shabby-looking Russian civilians who stare at him as he makes his way inside, collapsing in tears to his knees and begging forgiveness from his shocked wife, Alexandra -- who has always told him to stand up for himself and never give in to his ministers (a tactic which leads him to his downfall). That particular scene highlights the fact that Nicholas II was never meant to be a Tsar and didn't have the right qualities for it -- he was most likely a family man through and through, persuaded too easily by those around him and was hoodwinked by his God given right to be ruler of his people. You associate mostly with him throughout the story, much to Jayston's credit whose acting is sublime, and understand the extent of his realisation of the mistakes he committed in the past..."If there is hate in their hearts," he notes gravely near the end about the Russian people, "I put it there."
Janet Suzman was Alexandra...the Tsarina is obviously very much in love with her husband but at times, her hot-headedness and her refusal to see the disastrous situation unfolding about her also leads to her husband's downfall. Her mind-boggling dependence on Rasputin who she sees as the only man capable of healing her son who is suffering from hemophilia causes great unpopularity amongst the people who already see her as a foreigner due to her German origins and leads to the unfortunate rumour that there is much more to the relationship between the holy man and the Tsarina behind the Tsar's back as he assumes the role of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army at the war front. Her constant criticism of Nicholas' weakness as a Tsar and his inability to stand up for himself in turn causes him to be reckless in order to please his wife -- ignoring calls for a Russian parliament, ignoring pleas from a senior advisor to not go to war (marvellously played by Sir Laurence Olivier) who ominously predicts that "none of us will be alive when this war ends".
I found myself recognising a couple of actors who were still in their early acting careers in the film, such as the likes of Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in LOTR), Julian Glover and John Wood and it was nice to see them all, note that they looked familiar and realise exactly who they were. The opulence of the palaces in comparison to the grimy conditions of the ordinary Russian people was obvious, emphasising the fact that one can have so much beauty yet so much devastation in the world and even in the same country. The infamous execution of the Romanovs was tragically well-covered in the film, leaving the audience with the image of bloodstained walls and bullet holes in the walls of the notorious cellar in which the family was murdered by Red soldiers who feared that in the midst of the Russian Civil War that the Whites (those supporting the Tsar and freedom from communism) would be able to rescue the family and use them to promote the cause. It only reinforced my opinion that even though the Tsar was partly responsible for his downfall and the discontent of the populace, he and his family certainly did not deserve to die in such a horrendous manner, only to have their bodies doused with acid and petrol (thankfully not shown in the film) and thrown down a mineshaft to prevent identification. Again, this only highlights the contradictions of us as the human race and makes me take a hard look at myself as well everyone else and wonder what on earth we're doing here.
