"Romanovy:Ventsenosnaya semya" vs "Nicholas and Alexandra"

[Robert_Hall]

Wheras N&A concentrated on the love of  those 2  and Alexei's disease, which is why Massie wrote the book to begin wit, after all.  Romanovssky concentrated on the historical events They are both fine films, in my opinion.

[Grand Duchess Jennifer]

I never did get to watch Romanovy (a little help, please people?)

Laura Mabee has it on her website and I think it might be on YouTube.

I prefer Romanovy.

[Romanov_History_Buff]

Annoying? He only said it once.  And why are people so focused on those GDs?  They were given far more character development in N&A the  Romanovsky. After all, they were just secondary players in the drama.

Actually he says it twice once in the beginning after he catches the ball and then 2nd after when he falls from that bridge and his hemophilia kicks in on the carriage ride back and Alexandra tells them to get the palace as fast as they can... if i remember correctly!

[Lady Nikolaievna]

I prefer Romanovy too. I think it's more realistic.

[Kchessinskaya]

I just saw the Romanovy DVD. Far more satisfying film about the family than N&A, one big reason being that it was filmed on location. Also, it is more personal and intimate than N&A, delving deeper into the characters in a more concentrated period (Feb 1917 to the end). Bravo, Panfilov!

[Naslednik]

I believe that Massie was deeply disappointed in the movie.  And no wonder -- the movie makes it look so easy, a sort of "just modernize and democratize, you (Imperial) idiot, and you'll be fine!"  In fact, nothing was that obvious 100 years ago, and Russia is still debating these questions.  We native English speakers have the advantage of Magna Carta showing up in 1215, and having centuries to ripen into Democracy.

Both movies make me uncomfortable, tho' Romanovy is eye candy!

[bestfriendsgirl]

I think they're both "eye candy," especially Michael Jayston as Nicholas - definitely the dreamiest on-screen Nicky I've seen. I'd be his Tsaritsa anytime!

[Alixz]

I always thought that Michael Jayston was the best "look alike" for Nicholas II.

However, not to burst any balloons, but Jayston is 76 these days.  I wonder what he looks like now?


                                 ;-)

[bestfriendsgirl]

I'm sure he's aged gracefully. As for Nicky, well, we'll never know, will we? Although I suspect that if the Bolsheviks hadn't gotten him, the Benson&Hedges would have.

[Alixz]

:-)

LOL!  You never know, but a lot of people who smoke all their lives do not die of cancer or smoking related health issues.  It is odd.

It does, though, give people a prematurely aged look.  You can see that in some of the candid photos of Nicholas in later years.  Especially there is one with two other royals where Nicholas looks aged and without a cap his hair is very thin.  He was only 50 when he died, but in those pictures, he looks much older.

Yet in the photos from Tobolsk he looks quite healthy again.  Perhaps losing the cares of state and getting some good fresh air and lots of wood chopping exercise helped to offset the effects of all that smoking.



:-)

[TsarAlexeiII]

I always thought that Michael Jayston was the best "look alike" for Nicholas II.

I agree. The actor from Assassin of the Tsar did not look much like Nicholas at all, but Aleksandr Galibin looked quite a lot like Nicholas in Romanovy

[Naslednik]

Isn't it interesting that both Alexander Galibin and Michael Jayston are relatively tall?  Maybe directors just can't force themselves to pick a shorter man to be King.  Or the facial requirements are more important.

Galibin's Nicholas doesn't have the degree of charm that the real Nicholas had, I think.  Even Kerensky had to admit Nicholas' undeniable charm.  Jayston's has more sparkle, but I hate, hate, hate the fact that the movie uses the character of Nicholas to teach all the viewers the backdrop of history.  His uncles lecture him about bullets going to Vladivostok, for instance.  Now tell me, who knew more about travel from Vladivostok, huh?  I get that it is the screenwriters' device to teach all of us, but it greatly reduces the dignity of the man.  And intelligence.

So I vote for Romanovy, tho' I agree with Greg King that it is propaganda.

[TsarAlexeiII]

Isn't it interesting that both Alexander Galibin and Michael Jayston are relatively tall?  Maybe directors just can't force themselves to pick a shorter man to be King.  Or the facial requirements are more important.

Galibin's Nicholas doesn't have the degree of charm that the real Nicholas had, I think.  Even Kerensky had to admit Nicholas' undeniable charm.  Jayston's has more sparkle, but I hate, hate, hate the fact that the movie uses the character of Nicholas to teach all the viewers the backdrop of history.  His uncles lecture him about bullets going to Vladivostok, for instance.  Now tell me, who knew more about travel from Vladivostok, huh?  I get that it is the screenwriters' device to teach all of us, but it greatly reduces the dignity of the man.  And intelligence.

So I vote for Romanovy, tho' I agree with Greg King that it is propaganda.

Nicholas and Alexandra was the first movie to examine the family so closely, and my mind keeps changing as to whether I like it better than Romanovy. I have heard many people say yurovsky was portrayed as being too nice to be Yurovsky in Nicholas and Alexandra, but in some ways I think Romanovy's Yurovsky was nicer. It showed him releasing Leonid Sednev to his uncle, and he was at different times friendly to Nicholas and Alexei, save the ending, of course.

[bestfriendsgirl]

I agree. The actor from Assassin of the Tsar did not look much like Nicholas at all, but Aleksandr Galibin looked quite a lot like Nicholas in Romanovy

Really? I always thought just the opposite - Aleksandr Galibin is just too tall and skinny. Nicholas was slender, but worked out regularly and was very muscular.  However, I think he does a good job in capturing Nicholas' spirit.

[aleksandr pavlovich]

For "Tsar Alexei II":     Hello, and welcome to the Forum!  Just a note of interest on your remark concerning L. Sednev:  Leonid Sednev was "released" from the Ipatiev House (and death), being told that his Uncle wished him to come to him.  In reality, his uncle had been executed earlier. The boy was sent across the street to basicly be held until he was placed on a train a bit later to go to relatives. There is a thread here on the Forum re Leonid Sednev.              Regards,  AP.