Nicholas & Alexandra (B or 3/4 stars)
'Nicholas and Alexandra' (directed by Franklin J. Schaffner) - a lavish, yet overlong epic - covers the rise & fall of the last of the Russian Romanovs. We 1st meet Czar Nicholas II (Michael Jayston) & his capricious German bride Alexandra (Janet Suzman) at their 1894 wedding. Though Nicholas is utterly devoted to her, the Russian populace is less inclined to having a 'foreigner' as their new Czarina. Alexandra gains favor from the public after giving birth to the much-loved Prince Alexis. But much of the film concentrates on their troubled life, including Alexis' affliction with hemophilia, a disease which strikes every 2nd generation of Alexandra's family {so she's back to being hated}. Nicholas's preoccupation with his son's illness influences political decisions & increases his disengagement from his starving public.
When all conventional medical methods fail, Alexandra puts the fate of her son in the hands of mystical holy man, Rasputin (a towering Tom Baker). As Rasputin's power/influence increases in the Imperial Court, and as Nicholas's facile efforts to maintain authority result in the slaughtering of Russians, the public become more & more restless & riotous. Heck, from 1894-1917, the Romanovs were responsible for millions of deaths. Rabble-rousers Lenin & Trotsky (Brian Cox) exploit the Romanovs' weaknesses & start a revolution/crusade to overthrow "Bloody Nicholas." So with unrest at an all-time high, & with Russia suffering horrible losses in WWI ... the writing was on the wall for the Romanovs. As plans are set for the Romanovs to achieve safe passage out of Russia, melodrama & tragedy ensues.
'Nicholas & Alexandra' is an absolute FEAST for the eyes. The epic cinematography, Eastern European production design & ornate costumes are something to behold. The performances are fine; Janet Suzman definitely stands-out as most impressive. And the musical score is as sweeping as you'd imagine for a film with this opulence & scope. I have an affinity for costumed dramas such as this; it's a built-in interest that I hold. That said, 'N&A' suffers a bit from the filmmakers' attempts to both tell way too much & NOT say enough. There are lonnnnnnng stretches of grandiloquent dialogues that don't go to say much.
Because the narrative focuses on over 20 years of tumultuous history, too many plot points are either glanced-over or harped on too much. And because of that, some of the famous historical figures get short-changed characterizations. i.e., Tom Baker's Rasputin is played with verve & flamboyance; but he's not a well-rounded character. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of scenes & moments throughout the 3 hour run time {ugh} that are interesting or rivet. But the movie's narrative momentum goes in & out, and it's focus on the oddly sympathetic treatment of Nicholas & Alexandra (and their sentimentalized love story) rather than the momentous political/military events makes 'N&A' merely a 'good soap opera with faults', rather than a fascinating cinematic masterpiece.
When all conventional medical methods fail, Alexandra puts the fate of her son in the hands of mystical holy man, Rasputin (a towering Tom Baker). As Rasputin's power/influence increases in the Imperial Court, and as Nicholas's facile efforts to maintain authority result in the slaughtering of Russians, the public become more & more restless & riotous. Heck, from 1894-1917, the Romanovs were responsible for millions of deaths. Rabble-rousers Lenin & Trotsky (Brian Cox) exploit the Romanovs' weaknesses & start a revolution/crusade to overthrow "Bloody Nicholas." So with unrest at an all-time high, & with Russia suffering horrible losses in WWI ... the writing was on the wall for the Romanovs. As plans are set for the Romanovs to achieve safe passage out of Russia, melodrama & tragedy ensues.
'Nicholas & Alexandra' is an absolute FEAST for the eyes. The epic cinematography, Eastern European production design & ornate costumes are something to behold. The performances are fine; Janet Suzman definitely stands-out as most impressive. And the musical score is as sweeping as you'd imagine for a film with this opulence & scope. I have an affinity for costumed dramas such as this; it's a built-in interest that I hold. That said, 'N&A' suffers a bit from the filmmakers' attempts to both tell way too much & NOT say enough. There are lonnnnnnng stretches of grandiloquent dialogues that don't go to say much.
Because the narrative focuses on over 20 years of tumultuous history, too many plot points are either glanced-over or harped on too much. And because of that, some of the famous historical figures get short-changed characterizations. i.e., Tom Baker's Rasputin is played with verve & flamboyance; but he's not a well-rounded character. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of scenes & moments throughout the 3 hour run time {ugh} that are interesting or rivet. But the movie's narrative momentum goes in & out, and it's focus on the oddly sympathetic treatment of Nicholas & Alexandra (and their sentimentalized love story) rather than the momentous political/military events makes 'N&A' merely a 'good soap opera with faults', rather than a fascinating cinematic masterpiece.