I never had a chance to see this one until it popped up on TCM recently. While this doesn't rate up there with the all time greats, it's well worth your time if you like to absorb classic era cinema.
There are lots of good scenes of royal & religious ritual shot with a high degree of reverence, and the tension builds well as Russia inches closer to war against the Germans. You will enjoy seeing three Barrymores in the same production, especially Lionel Barrymore as the mad monk Rasputin- shot in the days before he was confined to a wheel chair.
This movie plays fast and loose with the history of the era, so don't take it as an historical lesson.
There are lots of good scenes of royal & religious ritual shot with a high degree of reverence, and the tension builds well as Russia inches closer to war against the Germans. You will enjoy seeing three Barrymores in the same production, especially Lionel Barrymore as the mad monk Rasputin- shot in the days before he was confined to a wheel chair.
This movie plays fast and loose with the history of the era, so don't take it as an historical lesson.