Nicholas and Alexandra 1971

type: Movie

language: English

duration: 168 min

genre: historical

theme: epic

director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Score: 5 / 10

Nicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay by James Goldman and Edward Bond based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name. It tells the story of the last ruling Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (Michael Jayston), and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra (Janet Suzman), from 1904 until their deaths in 1918. The ensemble cast includes Tom Baker as Grigori Rasputin, Laurence Olivier as Sergei Witte, Brian Cox as Leon Trotsky, Ian Holm as Vasily Yakovlev, and Vivian Pickles as Nadezhda Krupskaya.

Plot

In 1904, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, gives birth to their fifth child and first son, Alexei. Despite pleas from Grand Duke Nicholas and Count Sergei Witte, Nicholas refuses to end the Russo-Japanese War or accept demands for a constitutional monarchy, believing that doing either will make him look weak. The following year, Alexandra meets Grigori Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man, at a gala celebrating the birthday of Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna. She later turns to Rasputin for spiritual guidance after court physician Dr. Eugene Botkin diagnoses Alexei with haemophilia.

Awards

Cast

More details

author	Edward Bond James Goldman
award	Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Production Design National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
contentLocation	Poland
director	Franklin J. Schaffner
editor	Ernest Walter
events	Russian Revolution
genre	drama historical
keywords	alexander kerensky alexandra feodorovna allies of world war i ally bleed bloody sunday bolshevik capture church civil war constitutional monarchy count sergei witte dowager empress feodorovna dowager empress marie feodorovna dr. eugene botkin duma early hours of 17 july 1918 eastern front eugene botkin execution of the romanov family exile february revolution felix yusupov force forced to abdicate freeze george v georgy gapon german empire germany grand duke grand duke dmitri grand duke dmitri pavlovich of russia grand duke nicholas grand duke nicholas nikolaevich of russia grigori rasputin haemophilia holy man hunting lodge imperial russia imperial russian army in october 1917 ipatiev house kiev opera house kill king george v of the united kingdom livadia palace maria feodorovna military officer national opera of ukraine nicholas ii of russia october revolution opera house orthodox police brutality police to terrorize the peasants political asylum pyotr stolypin romanov tercentenary royal family royal tour russian army russian civil war russian empire russian orthodox church russian orthodoxy russo-japanese war sanctuary sergei witte siberia spała starve state visit tobolsk tsarskoye selo united kingdom wait white army winter palace world war i yakov yurovsky yekaterinburg
musicBy	Richard Rodney Bennett
nomination	Academy Award for Best Actress Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Production Design
producer	Sam Spiegel
productionCompany	Horizon Pictures
publisher	Columbia Pictures Warner Bros.
recordedAt	Spain
theme	biographical biographical drama epic