Anastasia (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Anastasia', adapted from a popular stage play, & directed by Anatole Litvak, is a hypothetical drama about a real European mystery woman who was believed by many people to be the daughter & miraculous sole survivor of the last of the Russian Czars (he & his family were slaughtered in 1918). This story begins, however, in 1928 Paris, where actress Ingrid Bergman plays a sad, confused, destitute, & suicidal woman who is rescued from the brink by tough-as-nails Russian exile, General Bounine (a solid Yul Brynner, who had a very busy 1956 with 2 other high profile films). But Bounine's motives are far from selfless. Together, with a host of Russian cohorts, he hopes to pass this woman off as the Czar's missing/assumed-to-be-deceased Princess Anastasia.
See, this woman bears an incredible resemblance to the Czar's daughter. And if these conspirators are successful, they stand to collect the 10,000,000 pounds held in trust for Anastasia in the Bank of England. All the while, after copious lessons meant to groom her into being 'Anastasia', this woman - desperate to forget her foggy past, anyway - starts to believe that maybe, just maybe, she really is the amnesiac Princess. The biggest obstacle facing Bounine, his cohorts, & "Anastasia" is the surviving Dowager Empress, Maria Romanova (the great Helen Hayes), a melancholy, if stern woman who must somehow be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that this young woman claiming to be her feared-dead granddaughter is the genuine princess. Drama ensues.
'Anastasia' is a beautiful looking, well-acted, tender story with 3 distinct components to it; and all 3 are executed with aplomb. 1) Juicy melodrama: the plot by Russian expatriates to present this woman as the lost Anastasia to claim a lucrative inheritance. 2) Mystery: is the woman presented the real Anastasia or is she an innocent imposter with memory problems? And 3) a drama about love: one love story involves romance btwn. Anastasia & 2 men. The other love story involves the love btwn. a grandmother & her granddaughter - or - the lasting hope that makes this grandmother believe that Anastasia is who she really is. The ending of the film is left slightly ambiguous. Several actions occur off screen. And we don't really know if Anastasia or her grandmother truly believe what they hope is true.
Ingrid Bergman's Oscar-winning performance as "Anastasia" is excellent. Through her portrayal, we get to see the slow, sometimes painful progression of a woman who starts in the depths of her despair; through to her inner struggle with doubt; and ultimately, the pride, courage, & love she seems to have attained through Bounine & the Dowager Empress. Bergman is most impressive when opposite Helen Hayes. i.e., the climactic meeting btwn. the 2 of them is quite intense & moving. Incidentally, this film represented Bergman's return to Hollywood after an exile following her 'scandalous' love affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini.
Helen Hayes is superb, playing the Dowager Empress as stubbornly realistic, yet also containing a deep well of emotion. There's a dignity about the actress & how she plays the role that is incomparable. I also enjoyed Martita Hunt as the amusingly lightheaded lady-in-waiting to the Dowager. So, I enjoyed 'Anastasia'. It is gorgeous to look at & listen to. There IS a feeling of slightness to the proceedings (its 105 minute length, perhaps?). But I also really liked the concept of fading royalty. The Dowager represents a dying breed, so to speak. And the potential return of Anastasia to the court could have meant more than just a happy return.
See, this woman bears an incredible resemblance to the Czar's daughter. And if these conspirators are successful, they stand to collect the 10,000,000 pounds held in trust for Anastasia in the Bank of England. All the while, after copious lessons meant to groom her into being 'Anastasia', this woman - desperate to forget her foggy past, anyway - starts to believe that maybe, just maybe, she really is the amnesiac Princess. The biggest obstacle facing Bounine, his cohorts, & "Anastasia" is the surviving Dowager Empress, Maria Romanova (the great Helen Hayes), a melancholy, if stern woman who must somehow be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that this young woman claiming to be her feared-dead granddaughter is the genuine princess. Drama ensues.
'Anastasia' is a beautiful looking, well-acted, tender story with 3 distinct components to it; and all 3 are executed with aplomb. 1) Juicy melodrama: the plot by Russian expatriates to present this woman as the lost Anastasia to claim a lucrative inheritance. 2) Mystery: is the woman presented the real Anastasia or is she an innocent imposter with memory problems? And 3) a drama about love: one love story involves romance btwn. Anastasia & 2 men. The other love story involves the love btwn. a grandmother & her granddaughter - or - the lasting hope that makes this grandmother believe that Anastasia is who she really is. The ending of the film is left slightly ambiguous. Several actions occur off screen. And we don't really know if Anastasia or her grandmother truly believe what they hope is true.
Ingrid Bergman's Oscar-winning performance as "Anastasia" is excellent. Through her portrayal, we get to see the slow, sometimes painful progression of a woman who starts in the depths of her despair; through to her inner struggle with doubt; and ultimately, the pride, courage, & love she seems to have attained through Bounine & the Dowager Empress. Bergman is most impressive when opposite Helen Hayes. i.e., the climactic meeting btwn. the 2 of them is quite intense & moving. Incidentally, this film represented Bergman's return to Hollywood after an exile following her 'scandalous' love affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini.
Helen Hayes is superb, playing the Dowager Empress as stubbornly realistic, yet also containing a deep well of emotion. There's a dignity about the actress & how she plays the role that is incomparable. I also enjoyed Martita Hunt as the amusingly lightheaded lady-in-waiting to the Dowager. So, I enjoyed 'Anastasia'. It is gorgeous to look at & listen to. There IS a feeling of slightness to the proceedings (its 105 minute length, perhaps?). But I also really liked the concept of fading royalty. The Dowager represents a dying breed, so to speak. And the potential return of Anastasia to the court could have meant more than just a happy return.