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, Vivian Pickles as Nadezhda Krupskaya, and Irene Worth as The Queen Mother Marie Fedorovna.

Plot

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 and put the Romanov dynasty at risk. As the war continues, growing public unrest sees a procession of workers march to the Winter Palace, hoping to present Nicholas with a petition calling for political representation. Soldiers open fire on the approaching crowd, killing hundreds. The resulting revolution forces Nicholas to create the Duma.

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 assassination of archduke franz ferdinand assassination of franz ferdinand bleed civil war constitutional monarchy count sergei witte duma eastern front exile family killed february revolution force forced to abdicate german agent german empire germany grand duke grand duke nicholas grand duke nicholas nikolaevich of russia grigori rasputin haemophilia holy man hunting lodge imperial russia imperial russian army impoverish july crisis kill murder of the romanov family nicholas ii of russia october revolution prime minister pyotr stolypin revolution romanov tercentenary royal family russian army russian civil war russian empire russian revolution of 1905 russo-japanese war seizing of power by the bolsheviks sergei witte siberia spała stolypin the national tsarskoye selo where they are executed white white movement winter palace 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