Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

[blessOTMA]

This reminds me what the UK actress who played Alix in Romanovy: Ventsenosnaya Semya  said about filming the scene when she did it...that even though they did some walk though rehearsals and what not,  when they did it for" real" ,it took her a long time to get over it. It becomes real emotionally  indeed.

[JamesAPrattIII]

In away N&A would have been a better miniseries than a movie. Sadly if someone tried to make one it would run into some big problems with the PC crowd. Heres why:
Nicholas was somewhat of an anti-semite. he was a whole lot less later in life. Lets face it this view was commen back then in Russia, Germany, Rumania, among Poles, the there are the french (Dreyfus affair). However if there is one scene where Nichols get angry at "Yid Bankers" shaking Russia down the PC crowd will start foaming at the mouth.

Lenin was a cowardly, hatefilled, cruel, traitor ect the rest of the "Bolo" gang were a really nasty bunch too. This is historical fact. but the PC types don't see things this way. So they can't be portrayed as bad guys even Peter Emerkov

One group of people the PC types think make really good bad guys are GERMANS. Lead baddie Kaiser Wilhelm II. it helps that he does look like he is one. It also helps Alexandra detested him and OTMA didn't care for him either.
Other bad guys Von Hindenburg and luddendorf. One fellow I saw on TV peddling a book on TV called them "Two Villenous looking German Generals" it also helps that Lundendorf was sort of mean looking and post WW I was pals with a man named Adolf Hitler! who he gave alot of ideas and advise too.
Lesser German badies: help the above defeat Russian armies, Turn Lenin and his gang loose on Russia with lots of gold and other aid, carve up Russian empire.

Alexandra was a vegan which the PC types will love who also wore fur which they will hate and used lots of pills

[JamesAPrattIII]

part 2
OTMA I hope someone picks the right actresses to portray them and the PC types need to remember these are early 1900s well bred young ladies who behaved properly ect don't portray them as early 2000s girls so to speak.
You might want to end this with what happens to everyone usually: killed by the "Bolos", dies in exile, purged and shot by Stalin!
Finally, i would like for the people doing the historical commentary to be able to say most of the time this is what was said or happened in real life ect.

[bestfriendsgirl]

Yes, Nicholas was an anti-Semite, along with most of the rest of aristocratic Europe. We Americans are critical of this, as well we should be, but in criticizing Europeans for their anti-Semitism, we seem to conveniently forget that we treated African-Americans just as badly or worse. Pogrom = Lynching. Pale of Settlement = Segregation.  Not a whole lot of difference, IHMO.

[blessOTMA]

Yes, Nicholas was an anti-Semite, along with most of the rest of aristocratic Europe. We Americans are critical of this, as well we should be, but in criticizing Europeans for their anti-Semitism, we seem to conveniently forget that we treated African-Americans just as badly or worse. Pogrom = Lynching. Pale of Settlement = Segregation.  Not a whole lot of difference, IHMO.

Good point and let's not forget the Native Americans as well. Straight up genocide, but called " manifest destiny" ! Sadly anti-Semitism was something N II was brought up with and even educated in. His father's generation seemed very much so when one looks at Uncle Serge

[JamesAPrattIII]

I have some more comments critisms of the PC film industry which i hope will not bore anyone but sadly they are true:
Oriental bad guys the PC crowd can't have Orientals looking too bad otherwise it might be considered racism and would sales in the Asian market. However, in N&A it's the JAPANESE attacking without declaring war, defeating the Russian army, destroying the Russian navy, and aiding the 1905 revolutionaris with gold and arms. They may be able to do this without offending to many people.
The PC film industry like lots of violence, sex and foul language other wise the movie might not get a least a PG rating that will hurt its sales. Violence Wars, Revolutions, and murders in N&A good. Sex ect decadent St Petersburg society, Rasputin, Yussopov, and corousing Communists and Chekists good. Foul language except for some anti-Semetic remarks by Nicholas which I got one wrong in my post #481 the IF did not swear! The only time there is alot of foul language used is by some of the guards post abducation. Whats a PC film industry type to do!!??
Alexandra had a slight fascination with a religous symbol know as the Sawastica which will not go down well with the PC film industry types because it used later on by the Nazis. It should be pointed out that this is a religous symbol of the Bhuddist religion and Navaho Indians. It was also used by a number of other peoples over the centuries. Alexandra also had a bad drug problem. the PC type will say what drug problem?

[TimM]

I just hope that if any new version of N&A is made, it will be faithful to history.

[bestfriendsgirl]

I'd love to hit the lottery for a gazillion dollars so I could bankroll a remake - maybe as a mini-series on The History Channel, especially while Mr. Massie is still with us.

[TimM]

I'd go see it.

[azrael7171918]

Yes, Nicholas was an anti-Semite, along with most of the rest of aristocratic Europe. We Americans are critical of this, as well we should be, but in criticizing Europeans for their anti-Semitism, we seem to conveniently forget that we treated African-Americans just as badly or worse. Pogrom = Lynching. Pale of Settlement = Segregation.  Not a whole lot of difference, IHMO.

Think there is something else you should be aware of. Europe was not alone in antisemitism so was America. American  Antisemitism also prevented large numbers of German and other European Jews from coming here in the 30s. It wasn't just Europe.

[bestfriendsgirl]

Yes, Nicholas was an anti-Semite, along with most of the rest of aristocratic Europe. We Americans are critical of this, as well we should be, but in criticizing Europeans for their anti-Semitism, we seem to conveniently forget that we treated African-Americans just as badly or worse. Pogrom = Lynching. Pale of Settlement = Segregation.  Not a whole lot of difference, IHMO.

Think there is something else you should be aware of. Europe was not alone in antisemitism so was America. American  Antisemitism also prevented large numbers of German and other European Jews from coming here in the 30s. It wasn't just Europe.

I realize that. Anti-semitism was a little more subtle America, but it was, and is, there.  However, it was easier for a Jewish person to "pass" in America, and some did. There's a movie called School Ties (Brendan Frasier's first big film) where a Jewish teenage boy in the 1950s does just that and the film deals with the fallout when he's "outed." Most African-Americans and Native Americans couldn't do this, so they were more obvious targets. Also, a lot of the books, films, etc. about the Romanovs were written by Europeans (Robert K. Massie is a notable exception) and tend not to make comparisons.

[Rodney_G.]

Was this movie in DVD form any way different from the original film version? any cuts? added scenes, etc,? I ask because I thought the opening scene in the movie was Alexandra  , in closeup, crying -out in the pain of childbirth of Alexei. I saw the DVD of N&A last night: no such scene. Was it edited out or am I thinking of a totally different flick? It's possible I'm losing it, but there mught have been changes at some point.   ?

[blessOTMA]

I remember in the very beginning Nicky and Alix looking at each other and she's both happy and in pain, indeed about to give birth... was that missing? It was a great way to show the bond right off

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

Yes Rodney, you are right - the film does start out with a red backdrop, which morphs into a lamp over the bed where Alexandra has just given birth to Alexis....  Nicholas is beside her and they dialogue that Alexis will be "a gentle czar".....

The film ends also in red - the blood on the wall of the murder room....

A director's artistic touch - brilliant!!!

If the DVD deviates from this, then it misses an important artistic aspect of film making, I would surmize...

Larry

[Jen_94]

On my copy of the DVD, that scene is there, with Nicky and Alix looking at eachother. I think it is a lovely scene and as BlessOTMA said, shows the lovely bond they had.