The Agony

[helenazar]

I don't think this has been discussed yet as I can't find it here.

This film is in Russian, with subtitles. Has anyone seen it? I think it's kind of obscure...



Agony (DVD-NTSC)  $29.99

2 DVD's, Ruscico, No zone restriction, Widescreen

A wide-scope panoramic view of Russia in 1916. The country is in its third year of war which seems to never end, with police rule, hunger and devastation at their peak. All this plays out against a background of luxury and corruption at the court, where the agonizing power still entertains hopes of coping with “the rebels”. The courtiers have a presentiment of the collapse of the Russian autocracy. Fear, despair and blind belief in Providence make a fertile ground for the “great” starets, adventurist Rasputin, who is a friend of the royal family and has gained mastery over the Czar and his ministers. The filmmakers used newsreels of the 1917 Revolution…

Director: Elem Klimov
Script: Semyon Lungin, Ilya Nusinov
Camera: Leonid Kalashnikov
Music by: Alfred Schnitke
Cast: Alexei Petrenko, Anatoly Romashin, Velta Line, Alissa Freindlikh, Alexander Romantsev, Yuri Katin-Yartsev, Leonid Bronevoy

Languages: Russian, English, French (all - Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: Russian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese

[Scott]

I've got it.  Filmed on location.  A bit strange.

[Georgiy]

I've never sat through the whole thing and only seen bits of it. To tell the truth it looked dreadful. It has the Empress falling on her knees in ecstasy befor icons of Christ - only Christ looks like Rasputin. And at some point, I think it is meant to be in 1916 it has her saying "I hate this country" (referring to Russia) - at any rate that was what the Japanese subtitles said when I saw it on TV there many years ago.

[Silja]

And at some point, I think it is meant to be in 1916 it has her saying "I hate this country" (referring to Russia) - at any rate that was what the Japanese subtitles said when I saw it on TV there many years ago.

Yes, this irritated me very much. Besides, in this film German is the empress's everyday language, which is also inaccurate as everyone knows. But it is a Soviet film, so one's expectations mustn't be too high.

[dac87]

I was just wondering if this film goes on to show the capture and execution of the Royal Family as many other Rasputin films did.

[Tsarfan]

I bought the movie a few weeks ago and am drifting through it a few scenes at a time.  Disjointed and strange, with the last days of the dynasty seen through a communist-focused lens.

The formatting is odd, too.  The first part of each disc is in Russian with Japanese subtitles.  The second part of each disc replays the same scenes, but with English dubbing.

Alexandra's use of German seems to be part of the propaganda of the film.  However, I recently encountered something interesting.  I had always heard that Alexandra never used German with her family and that the children had very little command of it.  But in The Fate of the Romanovs by King and Wilson, several episodes are recounted in which Alexandra spoke German with her daughters in their imprisonment, despite being repeatedly warned not to.  She apparently persisted even after some mild punishments were exacted for doing so.

What's the real story there?  Did Alexandra use German on occasion among her family?

[Lanie]

I know the girls had German lessons; during imprisonment I believe Olga and Alix both taught Tatiana German since Tatiana wasn't finished with her studies or something like that.  I wouldn't be surprised if Alix spoke German just so the soldiers wouldn't know what they were talking about, though I doubt the girls would have been able to reply quite as well as they could in English or Russian.

[Silja]

I remember reading Alexandra taught her daughters some German while in captivity, so it seems she occasionally "used" German with her family.

Alexandra also at least once wrote a Christmas - or was it a birthday card - anyway some card to Doctor Botkin in German.

[Georgiy]

And it could well be that she was speaking English, but the guards not knowing what language it was just assumed it was German - after all, she was the 'German Woman', most people probably didn't realise that she used English much oft he time.

[Tsarfan]

And it could well be that she was speaking English, but the guards not knowing what language it was just assumed it was German - after all, she was the 'German Woman', most people probably didn't realise that she used English much oft he time.

I never thought of that.  Could be.

[ferngully]

can someone tell me basically what its about? i know its about rasputin, but thats all i know
selina            xxxxxxx

[RealAnastasia]

I saw "The Agony" some years ago, in TV with Spanish subtitles. The only thing that I may said it's that it is a very odd film. It's a bit propagandist, yes. And I can't said I liked it. Alix speaking in German was the more inaccurate thing in the movie .

   It was many years ago that I saw "The Agony", and I think that they didn't show the murderer of the family... I can't remember it very well, but I think that you can see the Tibetan doctor Badmaev in this  movie. Is that right? I guess that Badmaev appears in more than a scene speaking to Rasputin.

    A very dark film...And the scenes with the Tsaritsa prying in her knees, the whole scene coloured in red are absolutely dreadful.

   In "The Agony" , the Imperial Family is not lovely one that you may see in "Nicolas and Alexandra"...It's simply historical.

RealAnastasia.

[Baby_Tsarevich]

I have it in Russian, my dad really like's it!

[Annie]

It seems to be in Russian, made in 1975 and not released until 1985. It looks like the most detailed and thorough account of his life, and probably closest to accurate, anyone ever made. I would LOVE to see it (especially with English subtitles!) Has anyone seen this? Do you know how I can get a copy?

http://www.uoregon.edu/~kimball/Agoniia.htm

[Laura Mabee]

Hmm... Upon looking up the film, an alternate title to the film is "Agony"
There is a thread on that film somewhere, and it can be bought through eBay as well as other online places (RussianDVD.com?)
I'll see if I can dig up the thread. 

Edit: Here is the thread.