Russian Revolution in Color

[Imperial.Opal]

 I watched Part One yesterday, it is a Discovery and Russian channel production, it blends archive material with reconstructions with actors playing Nicholas II and Lenin etc. The documentaries main story line is about the how the navy took control of Kronstadt Island during the Revolution in 1917
 In Part Two, next week it is about Lenin's suppression of the sailors revolt, it takes you to the actual locations - like Kronstadt and St Petersburg.

[rosieposie]

I'm interested in seeing it too.  I missed the Romanov part.  Got to the part where I believe Lenin's wife is on the Standart and she grabs one of Alix's rings and scratches out Alix's name on the glass and replaces it with her own.

[historylover]

How awful!  What a nasty woman!  I'm afraid that I missed the second one as well, so I really hope that it is available on DVD.  My brother wanted to watch the documentary about King Constantine II of Greece which I taped, and which was also very interesting.

Regards,
Lisa
www.bookaddiction.blogspot.com

[Imperial.Opal]

 It was not Lenin's wife. it was the wife of the Admiral of the Baltic Red Fleet who scratches Alexandra's name out on the ship. I will get back with more information on her name and her husband as their names did not appear on the credits on part 2.

[Alixz]

The "in color" part of the title refers to colorized original newsreal footage used in the documentary. In addition, the DVD features interview with experts on the period (both English and Russian)and historical re-enactments played out under the narration. All of these elemenents, along with the natural drama of the story, make this a very compelling documentary.
The documentary tells the story of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and ensuing Civil War by focusing on the story of the sailors of the Kronstadt naval base near St. Petersburg (at the time, Petrograd). This works extremely well as a framing device since these sailors played key roles at several points in the historical events. The documentary does not follow the sailors exclusively, but moves on to other people and places for extended periods when these become central to the story. Still, by always returning to the sailor's the documentary retains an immediacy and a coherency it might not otherwise have.
All in all an excellent introduction to and overview of this important historical event

http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Revolution-Color/dp/B000PGTNFM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1245550449&sr=1-1

[Alixz]

I just finished watching it and it is very good.

I don't think that the ship she scratched her name on was the Standart, it sounded like something else, but I guess she did do it.

The integration of the archival material and the actors and the films of the actual sites is very well done.

Well worth the money.  There is quite a bit of good footage of Nicholas and Alexei and the moving footage from 1914 that we always see.

The murder is quite inaccurate, but then when is it not?

[markjhnstn]

I've seen it too and it is very good.

The ending seems so macabre. All those Kronstadt sailors and many others making fires to keep themselves warm whilst awaiting their own executions!!

Incredible.

[historylover]

I did see this eventually and I agree that it was good.  I am considering buying it.