Underplayed Gems

Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

Nicholas and Alexandra poster
Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner
Genre
drama film, biographical film, historical film
Country
United Kingdom, United States
Runtime
3h 10m
Rated
PG
Rating
7.0 of 10 from 79 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

The film follows Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra as they rule Russia through war and revolution until their downfall. It focuses on their personal lives and the political turmoil that ends their reign.

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What happens

Nicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and produced by Sam Spiegel, from a screenplay by James Goldman and Edward Bond. It is based upon Robert K. Massie's 1967 biography of the last ruling Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (Michael Jayston), and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra (Janet Suzman). The film tells the story of the royal couple from from 1904, through the First World War and the Russian Revolution, until their deaths in 1918. The ensemble cast also features Tom Baker as Grigori Rasputin, Laurence Olivier as Sergei Witte, Harry Andrews as Nikolasha, Michael Redgrave as Sergey Sazonov, Michael Bryant as Vladimir Lenin, Brian Cox as Leon Trotsky, Ian Holm as Vasily Yakovlev, Vivian Pickles as Nadezhda Krupskaya, and Irene Worth as The Queen Mother Marie Fedorovna. Filming took place in Spain and Yugoslavia, and the musical score was composed by Richard Rodney Bennett. The film was theatrically released on 13 December 1971 by Columbia Pictures to mixed reviews and commercial failure, grossing $7 million on a $9 million budget. Regardless, the film received six nominations at the 44th Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Actress (Suzman), and won two: Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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