Ivan The Terrible, Part II, is one of those movies that you supposedly have to watch to be able to talk about Russian cinema and know what you're talking about. Eisenstein, of course, had by this point rejected the dead-end "montage of attractions", meaning that this movie, seemingly in redemption for that idea, cuts probably not more than once every 10 seconds, and that the camera hardly ever moves. Same as part I, actually.
The plot follows Czar Ivan IV (Cherkasov, overacting, but it works), of the 16th century, as he purges the court of all those jerks who get in the way of "one unified Russia," etc. What's different from Part I is the really bitter tone of the whole enterprise: no more tedious soul-searching, just snap judgements and lots of killing. (In a Joan Crawford-esque moment, 3 or 4 people are executed and Ivan hisses, "Not enough!"). Not to mention what appeared to be a mild homosexual subtext (which, of course, would bring up Eisenstein's own sexuality). The visuals, especially the color stuff, are frequently magnificent, but your mind can get numb to it. Too much symbolism, as usual.
The movie was made in 1945-1946, but was banned for 12 years, due to its negative portrayal of Ivan's Oprichniki, i.e., secret police. Eisenstein meanwhile suffered a massive heart attack and died, meaning that Part III ("The Battles Of Ivan") was never made. Thank God, 'cause after sitting through this and Part I, your pulse gets kind of lethargic. It's a worthy watch, I guess, just one that takes extraordinary amount of patience because, underneath all the spectacle, there isn't much going on.
The plot follows Czar Ivan IV (Cherkasov, overacting, but it works), of the 16th century, as he purges the court of all those jerks who get in the way of "one unified Russia," etc. What's different from Part I is the really bitter tone of the whole enterprise: no more tedious soul-searching, just snap judgements and lots of killing. (In a Joan Crawford-esque moment, 3 or 4 people are executed and Ivan hisses, "Not enough!"). Not to mention what appeared to be a mild homosexual subtext (which, of course, would bring up Eisenstein's own sexuality). The visuals, especially the color stuff, are frequently magnificent, but your mind can get numb to it. Too much symbolism, as usual.
The movie was made in 1945-1946, but was banned for 12 years, due to its negative portrayal of Ivan's Oprichniki, i.e., secret police. Eisenstein meanwhile suffered a massive heart attack and died, meaning that Part III ("The Battles Of Ivan") was never made. Thank God, 'cause after sitting through this and Part I, your pulse gets kind of lethargic. It's a worthy watch, I guess, just one that takes extraordinary amount of patience because, underneath all the spectacle, there isn't much going on.