Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

[Silja]

And it totally bugged the crap out of me how the girls makeup and hair was 100% 60s/70s looking. Didn’t these moviemakers catch that? It’s so obvious!

Yes, this quite bothered me too. Ironically, the film won an Oscar for costumes, didn't it, whereas I thought costume and make-up were one of the weak points.

[Sarushka]

And it totally bugged the crap out of me how the girls makeup and hair was 100% 60s/70s looking. Didn’t these moviemakers catch that? It’s so obvious!

Yes, this quite bothered me too. Ironically, the film won an Oscar for costumes, didn't it, whereas I thought costume and make-up were one of the weak points.

That was fairly common, even in period films, in the 1960's. This isn't the greatest example, but in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, the opening scenes are set in the 1920's, yet all the young women are wearing bouffants and hair bands with their ball gowns. It's completely ridiculous.

[pookiepie]

And I forgot to mention, alexei did a lot of backtalking to his dad, and it was almost insulting. I don’t think her really spoke like that to his father.

[mr_harrison75]

I have watched the movie for the first time last week, and, though overall I like it (Mr Jayston looks uncannily like Nikolai II), I disliked that a few things were botched: for example, I didn't like one bit Roderic Noble's Alexei, especially when he's supposed to be in much pain; you could tell that his cries were fake, and also his attitude...also that the actresses playing the grand-duchesses didn't look like the real ones at all...

I was disappointed that the movie was more onto the political side of things than stricly the family (although you must have some politics I suppose), and I positively hated the part at the Ipatiev House, except for one scene; when the commander put them in the cellar, and then, the family waits, waits, waits...but WE know what is going to happen...

[James1941]

If I may interject a personal story concerning this movie which I have remembered for over thirty years now.
I saw the film during its first run at an Odeon theater across from Hyde Park in London. It was the evening showing, and there was a large but not overflow crowd.
The lights went down and the movie commenced. At the end was the dramatic closing scene, then the credits.
As the end the light came up there was no applause, everyone sat there quietly for a minute or two as if in thought. Then they began to get up. I stood up and as I turned I saw the gentlemen seated behind me. He was most certainly upper class. He had very nice graying hair and a neatly trimmed guard's moustache. He was well dressed, as was his wife who sat next to him.
He turned to his wife and in a rather loud and most definitely disgusted voice said to her:
"It's those damned trade unionists."

[Olishka~ Pincess]

Yes I agree I would not buy the movie either I did not realy like it. It had too much arguing and a curse word was in there when Alix was arguing with Nicky and she said. In my opinion Janet Suzman does not look anything like Alix. But Jayston looked a little like Nicky. I think what they did in the movie did not seem real at all. I agree,The grand duchess did not look like the real ones.There was some inappropiate scenes when the were in the imprisonment house it was a small wooden cabin tobolsk was much bigger than that. I did not think the girls dressed like they were from the 1910's their make-up and their hair styles made the year of the movie more modern. One of the grand duchess when in the house in Ekateringburg when one of the grand duchess in front of a gaurd just did something nasty. Then when they were walking down in the cellar room the men told them to wait and they waited for a couple of minutes and then they came back in and shot them. They forgot the part about Yurosvky reading the paper the said "we are oblidge to shoot you all".They forgot so many important parts that made the movie so fake and false leading information. The characters did not do a good job. It was a pitiful one !!! I was also disapointed about the movie they should realy feel bad for themselves not being realistic at all. the characters only did this for money. They did not care about the Romanovs. The movie looked like a 70's cheap and fake movie.

[azrael7171918]

 It was not so much the actors but the writer. The actors can only do what the writer gives them. The scene in the house in Ekaterinburg with Tatiana the writer admitted he did  because it was the 70s. Unforunately he did the same thing with Anastasia the Mystery of Anna.

I too did not like Janet Suzman in the role. She seemed a very distant mother to the girls Nicholas seemed to be closer to them then she did. The arguments with Nicholas calling him a murderer if Rasputin left and he hits her you gave it to him.  COME ON!

Please Roderic Noble I think there is a reason he hasn't done any films since.  He was very one dimensional.

Unforunately those behind the scenes of the film didn't care to get things right it was the 70s and that was why the costumes and hairstyles looked the way they did. As to look a likes actors can only be reasonable fact similies.   I hate when the Girls become background. I doubt if James Goldman even read Nicholas and Alexandra.


Azrael

[Louis_Charles]

Janet Suzman's performance was generally accounted quite strong by critics, and as a theatre professional (actor/director) I think she is very good as well. Not as good as Gayle Hunnicut in Fall of Eagles, but I thought Suzman's Alexandra was coherent and elegant. If you have problems with the way that Alexandra was written, blame the writers.

Roderic Noble's Alexei was also pretty impressive, given his age and the minimal amount of screen time he had. All of the actors playing the children were on record as saying that the parts had proven unsatisfactory after the movie was cut; most of their performances ended up on the floor.

And they don't really seem to make epics like this, Dr. Zhivago, Reds, Marie Antoinette (1938) anymore. Look at the difference between Coppola's MA and MGM's --- Coppola pulled way back on the spectacle, saved a fortune on the sets, and shut the movie down before MA's story really opened up into the larger world of the Revolution. Nicholas and Alexandra tried to cover all of the bases, and I think did a credible job.

Simon

[Robert_Hall]

N&A remains one of my all-time favourite costume dramas. It is just a movie, after all, it does not pretend to be a documentary. There is no way to put a 500+ page book and make it into a 2 1/2 film. I agree Simon, right up there with the classics like MA [MGM]. At the costs of these epics, it will most likely be a very long time before someone invests in another effort. They do not usually pay off. [Titanic excepted]. TROY and ALEXANDER lost money, although beautifully made and there was a lot of artistic license taken to make  the stories coherent, if not believable.  Rupert Everett, in his recent autobio says  their job is to keep the audience from falling asleep, not give them lessons.

[dunya]

I didnt like this movie.. It was quite an unnecessary drama in my opinion. Tsareubiytsa ( Asassin of the Tsar) and  Russkiy kovcheg
( Russian Ark) are really better and more accurate . Just wanted to state my opinion since everybody seems to like the movie..

Best wishes.

[koloagirl]

 

While I agree with the last few posts regarding N+A - I have to say in its defense that -- well, it was the 70's!   

It is the movie that started me on my interest of N+A, much like the younger posters say that the cartoon "Anastasia" did for them.  I was just the right age to get "hooked" by the story.   

While both are not exactly accurate and have big problems with historical accuracy, costuming, writing, etc. -- at least they gave some people the start of their lifelong interest of the Romanovs!  For me, "Nicholas and Alexandra" was the starting point.

Oh man - the 70's!!  Now I feel really old!!   

[Imperial.Opal]

   I saw N+A in the 70's,  it was showing at the Paris Theatre in Sydney 1971 to 1972 I saw it 3 times, read the book and bought the soundtrack later.
Like you my interest in the Romanovs, started back there, the DVD is in widescreen format and you see more of the palace scenes ect.
Long Live the Seventies,Right On

[historylover]

Vive the Seventies! My interest in Russian history started then too with Nicholas and Alexandra, so I will buy this movie and watch it again.  I can't find it in Australia - I'll have to order it from OS.

James 1941, my mother once told me that she'd never vote Labor (the party name is spelt Labor here) because of the execution of the Tsar and his family by the Communists! The connection is a little bit obscure but I understood at once what she meant. She has many other reasons that are more relevant to Australia, however!

Best Regards,
Lisa
www.webwritereditor.com
www.bookaddiction.blogspot.com

[Vasa]

I like this movie, i saw it about 2 years ago and have loved it ever since. The execution part was very hard for me to watch because it was almost too sad to watch.

[Imperial.Opal]

 Considering it was made 36 years ago, it is still pretty good, still in my list of top ten films.