The legend of Rasputin, the monk who exerted an amazing influence on the Russian royal family during the last days before the revolution, is a good basis for a thrilling and powerful drama. This is a Rasputin's flamboyant biopic in Hammer style, he was a Russian mystic and holy man. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, through whom he gained considerable influence in the final years of the Russian Empire. Historians often suggest that Rasputin's scandalous and sinister reputation helped discredit the Tsarist government, thus precipitating the overthrow of the House of Romanov shortly after his assassination. Accounts of his life and influence were often based on hearsay and rumor; he remains a mysterious and captivating figure in popular culture.
Treatment is tense, and exciting, but the real treat for film fans is Christopher Lee's creepy acting. A thrilling drama in Hammer Fillms style with chills, violence, drama and frightening happenings. Stars Christopher giving a mesmerising and horrifying acting as Rasputin, thw weird monk with the power to heal who helped bring about the downfall of the Russian Empire. There's plenty of British star power in this good-looking production, such as: Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Dinsdale Landen, Joss Ackland and Renée Asherson as Tsarina Empress Alexandra fascinated by his evil charm. With its glossy tale of mysticism, treachery, and murder, it is the cinematic equivalent for an engrossing read. As you might expect from Hammer, the movie is highly coloured by cameraman Michael Reed, with great score by Don Banks and quite bloody at times. Unfortunately, aprt from some tense scenes, filmmaker Sharp doesn't give the story the pace to make it truly gripping.
Other film about this legendary are the following: ¨Rasputin and the Empress¨ 1993 by Richard Boleslawski with John , Ethel, Lionel Barrymore. ¨Rasputin¨ 1993 by Uli Edel with Alan Rickman, Ian Mckellen, David Warner. ¨Rasputin¨ 2011 by Josée Dayan with Gerard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant. And in ¨Nicholas y Alexandra¨ (1971) by Franklin J. Schaffner was played by Tom Baker.
Adding some biographical details: Rasputin was born to a family of peasants in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye, located within Tyumensky Uyezd in Tobolsk Governorate (present-day Yarkovsky District in Tyumen Oblast). He had a religious conversion experience after embarking on a pilgrimage to a monastery in 1897 and has been described as a monk or as a strannik (wanderer or pilgrim), though he held no official position in the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1903 or in the winter of 1904-1905, he travelled to Saint Petersburg and captivated a number of religious and social leaders, eventually becoming a prominent figure in Russian society. In November 1905, Rasputin met Nicholas II and his empress consort, Alexandra Feodorovna. In late 1906, Rasputin began acting as a faith healer for Nicholas' and Alexandra's only son, Alexei Nikolaevich, who suffered from haemophilia. He was a divisive figure at court, seen by some Russians as a mystic, visionary and prophet, and by others as a religious charlatan. The extent of Rasputin's power reached an all-time high in 1915, when Nicholas left Saint Petersburg to oversee the Imperial Russian Army as it was engaged in the First World War. In his absence, Rasputin and Alexandra consolidated their influence across the Russian Empire. However, as Russian military defeats mounted on the Eastern Front, both figures became increasingly unpopular, and in the early morning of 30 December 1916, Rasputin was assassinated by a group of conservative Russian noblemen who opposed his influence over the imperial family.
Treatment is tense, and exciting, but the real treat for film fans is Christopher Lee's creepy acting. A thrilling drama in Hammer Fillms style with chills, violence, drama and frightening happenings. Stars Christopher giving a mesmerising and horrifying acting as Rasputin, thw weird monk with the power to heal who helped bring about the downfall of the Russian Empire. There's plenty of British star power in this good-looking production, such as: Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Dinsdale Landen, Joss Ackland and Renée Asherson as Tsarina Empress Alexandra fascinated by his evil charm. With its glossy tale of mysticism, treachery, and murder, it is the cinematic equivalent for an engrossing read. As you might expect from Hammer, the movie is highly coloured by cameraman Michael Reed, with great score by Don Banks and quite bloody at times. Unfortunately, aprt from some tense scenes, filmmaker Sharp doesn't give the story the pace to make it truly gripping.
Other film about this legendary are the following: ¨Rasputin and the Empress¨ 1993 by Richard Boleslawski with John , Ethel, Lionel Barrymore. ¨Rasputin¨ 1993 by Uli Edel with Alan Rickman, Ian Mckellen, David Warner. ¨Rasputin¨ 2011 by Josée Dayan with Gerard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant. And in ¨Nicholas y Alexandra¨ (1971) by Franklin J. Schaffner was played by Tom Baker.
Adding some biographical details: Rasputin was born to a family of peasants in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye, located within Tyumensky Uyezd in Tobolsk Governorate (present-day Yarkovsky District in Tyumen Oblast). He had a religious conversion experience after embarking on a pilgrimage to a monastery in 1897 and has been described as a monk or as a strannik (wanderer or pilgrim), though he held no official position in the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1903 or in the winter of 1904-1905, he travelled to Saint Petersburg and captivated a number of religious and social leaders, eventually becoming a prominent figure in Russian society. In November 1905, Rasputin met Nicholas II and his empress consort, Alexandra Feodorovna. In late 1906, Rasputin began acting as a faith healer for Nicholas' and Alexandra's only son, Alexei Nikolaevich, who suffered from haemophilia. He was a divisive figure at court, seen by some Russians as a mystic, visionary and prophet, and by others as a religious charlatan. The extent of Rasputin's power reached an all-time high in 1915, when Nicholas left Saint Petersburg to oversee the Imperial Russian Army as it was engaged in the First World War. In his absence, Rasputin and Alexandra consolidated their influence across the Russian Empire. However, as Russian military defeats mounted on the Eastern Front, both figures became increasingly unpopular, and in the early morning of 30 December 1916, Rasputin was assassinated by a group of conservative Russian noblemen who opposed his influence over the imperial family.