Isn't it nice when you watch a tv-movie that doesn't feel like a tv-movie? The subject matter of 1996's Rasputin may be very upsetting, but the quality feels like something you'd go to the theaters to see. The costumes and art direction are beautiful, the script isn't corny, and the cast is full of well-known actors.
Alan Rickman plays the title character, and after you watch him in this, it's no wonder he was cast as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies. He has long, dark, stringy hair, wears dark robes, uses what some would call magic, and has a character the audience can't decide is a villain or not. Besides the Russian accent and the beard, the two are very similar. You will be treated with a very good performance from Alan, but the story is so sad, you might not want to. The start of the movie shows the discovery of the Romanov's bones in 1991, and then it goes back in time to the height of Nicholas's reign. Alexei is sick with hemophilia, and after Alan has a religious epiphany, he believes it's his mission to save the boy. Rasputin becomes a trusted family friend, and while this movie doesn't exactly explain why the change occurred, everyone in the audience is expecting things to take a very sour turn. My one objection to the film was the violence in the end. I've seen other Romanov films that handle the "portrait scene" with more tact, and this one felt needlessly violent. You can give it a shot if you want to see Alan Rickman, or if you want to see Ian McKellen, Greta Scacchi, David Warner, John Wood, and Freddie Findlay.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. About half an hour in, the camera spins to look at the inside of the cathedral for a few seconds, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting scenes involving children, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
Alan Rickman plays the title character, and after you watch him in this, it's no wonder he was cast as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter movies. He has long, dark, stringy hair, wears dark robes, uses what some would call magic, and has a character the audience can't decide is a villain or not. Besides the Russian accent and the beard, the two are very similar. You will be treated with a very good performance from Alan, but the story is so sad, you might not want to. The start of the movie shows the discovery of the Romanov's bones in 1991, and then it goes back in time to the height of Nicholas's reign. Alexei is sick with hemophilia, and after Alan has a religious epiphany, he believes it's his mission to save the boy. Rasputin becomes a trusted family friend, and while this movie doesn't exactly explain why the change occurred, everyone in the audience is expecting things to take a very sour turn. My one objection to the film was the violence in the end. I've seen other Romanov films that handle the "portrait scene" with more tact, and this one felt needlessly violent. You can give it a shot if you want to see Alan Rickman, or if you want to see Ian McKellen, Greta Scacchi, David Warner, John Wood, and Freddie Findlay.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. About half an hour in, the camera spins to look at the inside of the cathedral for a few seconds, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting scenes involving children, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.