Maria in the movies

[dac87]

It's Romanovy Ventsenosnaya Semya (Romanov an Impirial Family)  which is the much praised Russian film about the last days of the Romanovs.  There are several posts on it on the "movies" thread!

[Ortino]

I've heard of that movie, it looks wonderful. The actresses who play the Grand Duchesses and the boy who plays Alexei look, at least in my opinion, almost exactly like them.  Too bad it's entirely in Russian, I would love to see it.

About Marie, I think she evokes that sense of beauty and especially innocence, youth, and purity that most film makers seem to want to portray about the children and the family as a whole. Olga and Tatiana strike me as far too serious and perhaps even a bit too old to capture that image. Anastasia is too comical and frankly the least attractive of the sisters, (just my opinion) making her unable to do the job either. Marie just has the beautiful, pure atmosphere about her.

[grandduchess_sofia]

yes, and we know film makers love stereotypes  , well bad film makers, and lets face it there are quite a few bad romanov films!
sopsxx

[RealAnastasia]

I've heard of that movie, it looks wonderful. The actresses who play the Grand Duchesses and the boy who plays Alexei look, at least in my opinion, almost exactly like them.  Too bad it's entirely in Russian, I would love to see it.

About Marie, I think she evokes that sense of beauty and especially innocence, youth, and purity that most film makers seem to want to portray about the children and the family as a whole. Olga and Tatiana strike me as far too serious and perhaps even a bit too old to capture that image. Anastasia is too comical and frankly the least attractive of the sisters, (just my opinion) making her unable to do the job either. Marie just has the beautiful, pure atmosphere about her.

Well; I think that the less attractive of OTMA is Anastasia. She was not the more beatiful, nor the more compassive, nor the more intelligent. She was just the clown, the comical one. So, I don't know if this movie portrayed her so badly. As for Maria, she had indeed the more beatiful and pure atmosphere around her. At least, that's for me. But if I would have been the storyline writers of this film, I would have focused a little more in Olga, who was realizing how in trouble her family was. Don't forget that she loved to read and to analyze things. She even read politics! There are some good depictions of Olga in Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg, being isolated, sad and anguished.

RealAnastasia.

[Georgiy]

Anastasia was certainly portrayed as a 'clown', and in a hugely entertainling way - you can see that in reality her good spirits must have done a lot for her family whilst in Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg.

[RealAnastasia]

I read somewhere (I can't remember the source) that Anastasia has lost most of her comical way in Ekaterinburg. Is it true?

RealAnastasia.

[Laura Mabee]

I don't know for fact, but it makes perfect sense to me. I would have lost all my humor by the time I had gotten to Ekaterinburg

[Robby]

Me too, I wouldn;t make fun of everything in a time -- so stressfull, and sad. I can understand Anastasia here.
Why would she make fun? Makes no sense.

[calebGmoney]

Marie actually played a more important role in a way in true life. She was always there to accompany her parents, such as went they were supposedly going to Moscow for trial and when Alexandra was going to beg the guards not to abondon her during the revolution, Grand Duchess Marie was with her.

[ferngully]

well in zoya, marie was the only one mentioned as being a playmate and then having measles. the dog she got was hers as well. i know it is entirely made up, but there was a mention of her
selina                           xxxxxxxxxxxx

[Petrushka]

Oddly enough if you watch the movie Nicholas & Alexandra, Maria is the only daughter not mentioned by name? Obviously she is in the film but her character plays no real part.

[Margarita Markovna]

Hey, I never noticed that! But isn't it her that runs to get the ball and talks to Alexei?

[nene]

This is a rather odd observation and I was unsure as to where to put this topic (in films section or Maria's section), but I have noticed that in the many films depicting their lives (save that of the Anastasia films, and the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra) Maria is always the more focused on daughter.  Examples:

Rasputin and the Emperess:  Maria is a large part of the film.    She is the only daughter who's character gets developed and other than Anastasia (who had one line) she is the only daughter to talk.

Assassin of the Tsar:  Yet again, Maria is the only daughter with lines and it is her voice that opens the film.  

Lost Prince:  Maria is the pretty blonde girl that Johnny is so mesmirized (sp?) with.  She actually symbolizes The entire Romanov family and the brutality of Revolution.

Rasputin (Rickman version):  She is given more screen time than any of the other daughters.

Knowing that all her life, Maria always felt like the forgotten sister, I think it is kinda neat how the media turned the tables and made her just as important as her other sisters.

With the exception of Nicholas and Alexandra, I have never even seen the rest of these movies. I had no idea about Maria being given so much screen time in these films. I have so got to order them to check them out myself. Besides Olga, Maria is another favorite Romanov of mine. Maria is so beautiful, so gay and loving and warm.

[sailor_of_standart]

In response to Rasputin (Alan Rickman) I do say that yes Maria is a big part of the movie how ever there is a scene showing Rasputin walking and talking to Olga and Tatiana (although I have to say there is no likeness by either actress of Olga and Tatiana) in the grounds when it is snowing.  In the dining room scene Alexandra says "Pass the potatos please Tatiana."  Tatiana replies "Yes mum".  You see close ups of Anastasia and at times Maria in this scene.  
Also when they are introducing Alexei to high society The camera lingers on Olga and Tatiana for a while.  Altough I was abit confused by who was who as Anastasia didn't seem to have a fringe at the time.    
When the tricentary at the church is shown,  The camera shows the four girls with Alexei and his nose is bleeding Maria takes him away.  
And when Alexei reliease that they are going to die soon he tells OTMA "We are all going to die."  The girls are in shock but you see Maria true to form crying hysterically about it.  
The scene where they are being executed they are all fall on to each other.  Maria is the last to fall to he ground. I know this as I watched it with my boyfriend last week  

[Georgiy]

The scene inside the Church while poignant made me almost laugh as they used a recording of a modern-times Liturgy with prayers for Patriarch Alexei II and for the rulers of the country. They should have hired achoir to sing using the original litanies from Imperial times. It would have been very poignant if when the prayer for the Tsesarevich was being intoned he started bleeding.