Author Topic: Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)  (Read 280422 times)

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Robert_Hall

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #225 on: August 16, 2005, 02:31:08 PM »
I am sure the producers, directors, writers and actors, especially the one who portrayed Olga, appreciate you ever so wise erudation.

xX_Mashka_Xx

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #226 on: August 16, 2005, 08:41:53 PM »
The girl who played Olga wasn't really ugly, but she didn't look like her one bit. That's what's bad, is that the actresses playing OTMA looked nothing like OTMA

Janet_W.

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #227 on: August 16, 2005, 09:56:55 PM »
Many of us became interested in the Romanovs after seeing Nicholas and Alexandra. Speaking for myself, the film haunted my thoughts from the moment I stepped outside the theater, and since that time I have spent many exciting hours in a number of university and public libraries, tracing down books and other materials that Robert Massie had consulted in writing his book, then going beyond his bibliography to review additional materials.

The film is just that . . . a film. It is, by virtue of its cinematography, more than a play, but still less than reality. It attempts, as do other history-based films, to present a time which no longer exists. It does not present everything just as it was, moment by moment, person by person, but is instead a dramatic representation. In this I think it succeeds magnificently. I could quibble--and have, on other threads--about certain individual aspects of the film, but all the same it remains my introduction to and inspiration for a life-long obsession, and I am grateful to everyone who played a part in making the film a reality.

Also, I second Robert regarding comments about the actors.  Furthermore, if Ania Marson ever happens to visit this website, I would like her to know how much I appreciated and continue to appreciate her portrayal of Olga. True, Ms. Marson's nose is not the retroussé feature which inspired adolescent despair from the actual grand duchess. But it is nose that suits Ms. Marson, and each time I see Nicholas and Alexandra I am reminded of how well her wide-spaced eyes and intelligent demeanor represent the look of Nicholas and Alexandra's oldest daughter.

Offline Ortino

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #228 on: August 17, 2005, 04:19:44 PM »
As a result of the controversy that was ignited by my original post and my realization of what a poor impression it gave, I have removed it and am ready to start afresh. I apologize to both the original poster and the repliers for the side tracking and any offense it might have caused. So...back to Nicholas and Alexandra.

As can be surmised, I am not a huge fan of this movie, but I feel that I should be more thorough in my analysis of it now. Overall, it was a good attempt to recreate the life and death of the Romanovs, but not up to par with its successors. I understand that this was made in the 1970's, a time when I'm sure there was not as much interest in the Russian royal family. I applaud it for bringing attention to the family's lives. However, I found three major failings with it. The first is that it rushed through everything way too fast. I understand that they had to fit the story so that it would not be too long and include as much as they could, but had I not known about the Romanovs, I might be somewhat confused. What they do include they don't explain very well. The second major failing in my opinion is its lack of focus on the actual family. There are only brief moments when the viewer can actually get a view of what their lives were truly like, like the girls' short appearances and the events at Spala. I would have preferred if the movie had focused less on the political events going on around them and more on them. The final problem with the movie I found was its inaccurate details. Things like Rasputin's murder and the "events" in Tobolsk bothered me. I understand that this is film and basically every story in the history of film making has deviated from the original somehow, but I still think it could have been better if they had gotten these things right. Perhaps because of how interested I am in all the little details of their lives and world these things bother me more.

 On the other hand, there are some good qualities in this movie that should be mentioned. I thought the costumes, particularly those at the Dowager's party, were lovely. I also think that the acting overall was fine, not the best, but still good, especially Michael Jayston. Finally, like I said previously, I would like to point the film's effort to introduce many viewers to the tragic and fascinating lives of the Romanovs. The more interest, the better.

Offline Tsarfan

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #229 on: August 17, 2005, 04:53:33 PM »
There are now three threads specifically on the Nicholas & Alexandra movie under this topic .  (No wonder . . . the movie elicits all kinds of strong reactions, pro and con.)

Forum Admin, is there an easy way to consolidate the three threads so that we can read all the posts in one place?  It's been such a rollicking discussion that it would help us follow the various opinions more easily.

Thanks if you can do it . . . or even if you can't.



sailor_of_standart

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #230 on: August 29, 2005, 09:24:57 PM »
I too just saw N & A last night. It was quite interesting, but I just couldn't bring myself to watch the execution, I watched it in Rasputin (1996) but with this I just couldnt.
It was also interesting to see the scene where the young guard tried to humilate the girls with that crude drawing of a fellow making love to a big bosomed woman.   I thought at first he was going to try and flirt with the four girls till he stoodback and showed them that drawing.  I too was taken aback.
It did get kind of annoying for that young actor who played Alexei to keep repeating that little chant about not having fun and playing.
At least it confirmed that Alexei tried to commit sucide by toboganing down the stairs at Toblosk.  
Also did the train they originally went on from Toblosk was it really going to Moscow or was that just a set up as depicted in the movie?

Lizameridox

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #231 on: August 30, 2005, 09:57:44 PM »
I have some trouble with the statement that the movie N+A 'confirmed that Alexei tried to commit suicide by tobogganing down the stairs'.  The movie did take a lot of liberties with the actual book by Robert L Massie on which it is based.  I think the reason why the Tsarevich was depicted as suicidal in the movie was that it is hard to depict a state of mind that could make the boy say to his mother as he lay ill from an incident that occurred because of recklessness or boredom that he wished he could die because he was afraid what of the Bolshevik jailers might do to him and his family.

Any remake of the movie will definitely have to improve on the script.

sailor_of_standart

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #232 on: August 31, 2005, 08:03:42 PM »
The scene depicted with Alexei trying to commit suicide was also used in Anastasia the Anna Anderson story and Anastasia the daughter of the last Tsar.

Offline LisaDavidson

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #233 on: September 04, 2005, 01:20:04 PM »
For those who have problems with the historical accuracy of the film, you are in good company. I was told by a Romanov descendant that Prince Vasili Alexandrovich (Xenia and Sandro's youngest son) was a technical advisor on this film and that his suggestions were for the most part ignored. He reportedly walked out in disgust from the film, although the family chose not to make an issue of it in public.

As Janet said, it is a film, it was not real life and that should be understood when viewing it.

Tati-Fan

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #234 on: September 14, 2005, 06:03:56 AM »
Quote
http://www.livadia.org/trw/movies/na/ - I uploaded some I took.

http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/2711/tanyaactressodd1pr.jpg

Wow, that's Tatiana?  I wouldn't have recognized her!

I like her sailor suit! :D

Offline Laura Mabee

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #235 on: September 14, 2005, 08:48:26 PM »
Just wait till I get my website up (hopefully this month) I have over 100 screencaps of this movie

RomanovFan318

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #236 on: January 09, 2006, 08:26:51 PM »
Even though I like this movie ( I'll rate it about a 7 on a scale of 1-10) I am always nit-picking it each time I watch because of the inaccuracies.  Some of the parts that I really don't care  for are:

The scene with Tatiana and the guard. Tatiana would have NEVER done anything like that! She was a proper young lady. Disgusting! >:(

Alexei was shown as a spoiled brat and not the happy child that he was. It looked like the sledding down the stairs incident was a suicide attempt which it was not.  And that silly little rhyme he kept saying. At times I wanted to say "Shut Up!"  I hope that if they ever do a remake they show Alexei as the kind, gentle  and curiuos boy that he was despite his fragile health. Nothing against Roderic Noble's acting. I just didn't like the way the scriptwriters wrote the part.

But some parts of the movie are really good. I thought Michael Jayston did a great job as Nicky and Tom Baker was fantastic as Rasputin.

As someone else has mentioned I too hope that any re-make will focus more on  family life rather than politics.

Olga_Anne

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #237 on: January 09, 2006, 09:46:52 PM »
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Even though I like this movie ( I'll rate it about a 7 on a scale of 1-10) I am always nit-picking it each time I watch because of the inaccuracies.  Some of the parts that I really don't care  for are:

The scene with Tatiana and the guard. Tatiana would have NEVER done anything like that! She was a proper young lady. Disgusting! >:(

Alexei was shown as a spoiled brat and not the happy child that he was. It looked like the sledding down the stairs incident was a suicide attempt which it was not.  And that silly little rhyme he kept saying. At times I wanted to say "Shut Up!"  I hope that if they ever do a remake they show Alexei as the kind, gentle  and curiuos boy that he was despite his fragile health. Nothing against Roderic Noble's acting. I just didn't like the way the scriptwriters wrote the part.

But some parts of the movie are really good. I thought Michael Jayston did a great job as Nicky and Tom Baker was fantastic as Rasputin.

As someone else has mentioned I too hope that any re-make will focus more on  family life rather than politics.

I agree with you totally.
It was discussed on a Tatiana thread about the way Nicky blamed Alix for Alexei's illness. Lines such as... "You gave it to him!" shouted over and over in one scene, and another along the lines of... "What did you give me? Four daughters and a sick boy."  I think Nicky would have never said those things.

RomanovFan318

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #238 on: January 12, 2006, 07:46:39 PM »
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.. "You gave it to him!" shouted over and over in one scene, and another along the lines of... "What did you give me? Four daughters and a sick boy."  I think Nicky would have never said those things.


You're right. I can't imagine Nicky saying anything like that to Alix eeven if they were having an argument.

lovy

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Re: Nicholas & Alexandra VHS & DVD
« Reply #239 on: January 12, 2006, 09:25:51 PM »
Yeh what was with that arguement that N & A had??! Would Nicky ever said those things to Alix and Alix say: "D*mn you!" I don't think they would ever have an arguement like that!
    Although N & A are rather intimate in the movie ... like that scene when they're in captivity. I just find it SO heartbreaking in the end when they get shot. N & A had the best love story!
    And what about when OTMA are in their bedroom and suddenly this stupid guard comes in and Tatiana shows herself. I'm pretty sure the guards did sort of interfere like this, but never would one of the grand duchesses show themselves like that!
    It was a pretty good movie but I do get REALLY sad thinking of it. Some parts are not exactly right and some things are missing in the movie.
    My favourite part of the Romanovs is N & A's love story. Does anyone know any movies that are mostly based on N & A's love story (if there is any)?