Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-23 18:35:56

Purchased it because of the star Alan Rickman. Thumbs up!

This review is from: Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny [VHS] (VHS Tape) I purchased this because it starred Alan Rickman. This is a must have for Rickman fans. He's hot! The story is interesting too.

2012-05-22 21:55:28

Stunning...

Alan Rickman continues to amaze me with the diversity and depth he brings to every role he plays. His Rasputin just leapt out at you, even in moments when he was being serious & contemplative. He so richly deserved all the accolades that were awarded to him for his performance. He played so many facets, there were times you wanted to strangle him, and other times when you felt completely sympathetic to him, and wondered if he truly was a Holy Man who just became a pawn in the power struggle of the time. I also have to give kudos to both Greta Scacchi & Ian McKellen for their performances as the doomed Tsar & Tsarina, bursting with hope and happiness as Alexei is "cured", and falling into the pit of despair as their world crumbles around them. An amazing movie, period.

2012-05-22 05:06:41

Excellent. Alan Rickman was great as "Father Grigory".

A wonderful movie that portrays the Imperial Family with their internal suffering perfect. Much better than Nicholas and Alexandra. The children are excellent (and the girls look much more like the real girls instead of the rather yucky loooking girls in the other movie). Aleksey's suffering is perfect, although the dates are a bit off and some errors with plot setting (ie, the infamous nosebleed episode happened in Poland, not during the 1913 terecentury). Excellent, and the murder scene is horrifically real. I cried.

2012-05-21 17:03:44

DOES NOT PLAY ON USA DVD PLAYERS! PAL FORMAT

WATCH OUT, THEY DO NOT PUT IT IN THE TITLE, BUT THIS IS A DVD IMPORT REGION 2 DVD THAT DOES NOT PLAY ON USA DVD PLAYERS! PAL FORMAT

icet2004 2012-05-18 22:17:55

Trash

Rasputin is one of history's most colorful figures of all time,but thismovie is trash.too dramatic.so this make this movie bad.and terriblesongs.this movie is overrated like Titanic.garbage i call it.Rasputinhealing powers ah common think real it's all pointless andfantasy.don't believe everything like Charles Foster Kane said. In1910s Russia, Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra find their sonAlexei, sole heir to the Romanov dynasty, suffering from hemophilia andconventional medicine failing to help him. Alexandra looks into findingholistic treatment and finds Father Grigori Rasputin, a destitute monkwho claims he had a vision from the Virgin Mary telling him that theTsar needed him.fails a movie.

rubenheim 2012-05-18 12:47:02

excellent actors

Alan Rickman really kicks it. He did a quite incredibly good job.Could you want another Rasputin? Excellent acting. He combines thatopposition of orgy and foreseeing in a way you cannot help but think thisambivalence is like two sides of the same coin.

Kristine 2012-05-17 15:18:40

A very good story about the "mad monk"

I have to say that I was very impressed with the story of Rasputin. It wasvery accurate. Allen Rickman was amazing in the story. He is such anincredable and under rated actor. The whole story is great if you like tostick to accurate history. I wasn't too sure about the love story betweenthe wife and Rasputin, they were mostly rumors. So, I didn't think it wasnecessary to add into the movie. "Rasputin" is a great movie to watch. I would highly recommend if you areinto history. Especially Russian history or into the World Wars. Trust me,it will not disappoint you.9/10

2012-05-17 04:43:59

Astonishing portrayal!

Though not the greatest film of all time, Rickman's astonishingly complex portrayal of the enchanted monk is among the great male roles of all cinema, comparable to Giannini's breathtaking "Seven Beauties". This is a must for any student of acting.(...)

2012-05-09 15:36:06

Just plain wonderful

This review is from: Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny (DVD) With this movie, Alan Rickman became one of my favorite actors. The entire cast and production are the best, and Rickman's performance here has given me a sense of authenticity to everything else he does. Even in farce roles, the intensity of his acting adds an edge that enriches the whole film/play, as in Galaxy Quest, which i will see again.

anya_angie 2012-05-09 06:08:30

Inaccurate but magnificent, it actually gets the personalities right!

Such a miracle, the movie neglects some historical facts in order to getthepersonalities correct, which is something no other Romanov movie has everdone.This movie is Alan Rickman's best ever. I always knew he was great but Inever imagined him in this role. He was truly amazing.While other movies paint Aleksey as a suicidal kid this one actually paintshim as he was, he must be smiling now that things have finally gottencleared.

2012-05-02 15:22:55

Alan Rickman is Rasputin!

This is a beautifully depicted film. Yes, it is based on fact, but I am sure than no movie can really accurately described what really went on in the lives of the Romanovs. However, as a movie, its really brilliant. Its utterly mesmerizing, and it really is all thanks to Alan Rickman. He is utter perfection in this. His portrayal of the infamous Rasputin is genius and almost creepy. The likeness is undeniable. This is a dramatic film and I really wish a proper dvd would finally come out.

HD24 2012-05-02 08:54:47

Much better than most of its competitors

OK, you can look at this film in two ways - either as a good play, or asanhistorical drama. It works both ways, although my main quibble would bethatone is left with little real idea of why the revolution took place andwhatRasputin's role in this was. For that reason, it could have done withbeinga bit longer and more detailed.Rickman plays Rasputin with humour and humanity - not the one-dimensionalmonster of most other films about him, which is a good thing from both adramatic and historical point of view.Ian McKellen as Nicholas II has sweetness and dignity although he isprobably too old for the role, and the scenes where he almost loses histemper are (historically) highly improbable!I have no problems with Greta Scaachi's acting, but from a historicalpointof view her portrayal of the Empress is altogether too vulnerable andlacking in fight; and why the German accent in certain scenes!?I doubt there will ever be a film that pleases all of the variousfans/critics of Nicholas and Alexandra, Rasputin and the Russianrevolution;this one is better and less sensational than most.

2012-04-30 00:20:23

Great actors, bad script--see it for the locations

I was very disappointed in this movie. Ian MacKellen and Alan Rickman did the best they could with a very bad script (how many times must Rasputin moan "I didn't ASK to be holy!"?) and factual errors (Rasputin was a nickname, not Father Gregory's surname, etc.). Greta Sacchi was miscast as Alexandra, she didn't have the acting talent or the physical resemblance needed. The locations were great and it is worth renting the film to see them. I can't recommend you purchase the movie though.

2012-04-29 13:37:00

Rasputin

Alan Rickman gave an incredible performance as Rasputin. He was everything I hear that Rasputin was wild eyed, dirty and unkempt, and mesmerizing and intensely sensual.

2012-04-27 23:17:39

Stunning!!!!!

I miss this when it premiered on HBO back in March of 1996. Ever since than I have been searching video stores everywhere! When I finally found it here, I was overjoyed. So once I received it i slipped it in the VCR and pressed play. Two hours later, I thought this is the best HBO Original movie ever! Alan Rickman was fantastic! Ian McKellan and Greta Scacchi were so right for the roles of Nicholas and Alexandra. The boy who played Alexi was also fantastic!

cybamuse 2012-04-27 18:15:39

Brilliantly filmed, brilliantly told

Although they script writers took the sensationalized story route everytime, they nonetheless wrote a powerful script that can't help but have youfoaming at the mouth to learn more about Rasputin and the breakdown of theRussian Empire. If you know very little about the collapse of the RussianEmpire, then this film would have to be the best introduction you willget.The cinematography in this film was absolutely gorgeous with wonderfulcontrasting colors illustrating the richness of the Romanov life, the bleakcoldness of the Siberian plains and the stark conditions of the RussianEmpire. The music was hauntingly beautiful and complemented the filmperfectly. When music suits a film, it IS noticeable!And then there is the acting... Alan Rickman is sensational as Rasputin,portraying the moody and incoherent Rasputin with a fabulous chameleon-likezeal. Ian McKellum so perfectly portrays the Tsar, Nicholas II (or atleast,as one would perceive Nicholas to be from history books) that it is plainspooky! Great Scacchi is also wonderful as the Tsarina.

Ronos 2012-04-26 17:09:42

This is the Real Rasputin

Before this film, the Cinematic version of Rasputin was Christopher Lee'sevil Dracula-esque version that tried to seduce/murder the Royal Family. Butthis one is far more accurate. It's a little short and DOES skip alot ofchapters in the Mad Monk's life, but nevertheless it's better than theaforementioned Hammer Films version and mercifully shorter than Nicholas &Alexandra. Rasputin was not an evil man as early cinema depicts, but insteada well-meaning one hampered by incompetence and bad habits. Alan Rickmancaptures both well. Matching him stride for stride is Ian McKellen as TsarNicholas II. McKellen's Tsar is a loving father who perhaps can't see verywell past his family. When he tells his son that he will preserve thekingdom for him, you realize that a sad end awaits him. But through it allhe manages to keep his dignity. And nobody has ever played the Royal doctorbetter than David Warner has. He mixes loyalty to the Tsar and skepticism ofRasputin's "divine abilities" very well, and has quite possibly the bestline in the film: "I have performed many autopsies and never once found asoul." The wisest move, however, was not to end it with Rasputin's death,but to continue to show the fall of the Romanov Dynasty. The entire murderof the Royal Family stands as one of the most evil acts of the 20th Centuryand those final scenes really hammer home the tragedy.

wnterstar 2012-04-26 02:52:52

A Brilliant Madman, A Holy Man, or a Con Artist?

I think most people already know the story of The Russian Revolutionand the tragic end of the Romanov family. I'm not sure people reallyknow all that much about Grigori Rasputin. this movie gives us a peakat a fascinating man.Alan Rickman gives a wonderful portrayal of the mad monk. Ian McKellanshows us the family man behind Nicholas the bloody.I have read some of the comments and I see that a lot of people seem tofeel the movie wasn't accurate. I'm not sure it was supposed to be.This story was told through the point of view of a young boy.My only complaint is that I would have liked to have seen more of hischildhood. Why was he the way he was? I mean, the first born male ofthe Romanov family had been told for 350 years that they were ordainedby God to rule and that they were infallible. You may not have agreedwith the choices they made, but you can see why they made them.I didn't end up seeing why Rasputin was the way he was. Was he truly amad man? A holy man? A con artist? I know that relatively little isknown about him, but the movie never even hazards a guess.The film still keeps you riveted as it slowly moves to it's inevitableend.Not a must see, but a good way to spend an evening.

2012-04-23 08:42:57

Enchanting, touching, amusing, spectacular...

The story of the last Romanovs starts from Siberia 1991: their bones are found and the boy, Alexei, introduces: "This is my mother, this is my family..." Then a leap back to 1880's and to a boy, who seems to read minds. 20 years later he - Rasputin - is doing hard labour in Siberia, until Virgin Mary appears to him. Very swiftly the plot takes us to St. Petersburg, where Rasputin convinces others of his mission. The boy, Alexei, narrates, how he came to heal him and was their only friend, no matter what people said about him later. The monk, who looks like a madman, knows about Alexei's illness, although it has been a state secret, and by speaking about sailing he takes the pain away, into himself, as it seems. A hypnotist, a fraud, a madman, a magical healer?Rasputin convinces the Tzarina and later the Tzar of his abilities, so he has a place in court, although he is a very embarrassing man, uneducated, unpredictable and too fond of wine and gypsy prostitutes. Behind the scenes Russian people suffer, the First world war (predicted by Rasputin) is started and the last minutes of the Romanov family are at hand. Everything is told very economically, nothing too much and yet everything you need to know, with authentic film material cut into the story.The film is a feast for the eyes and mind, even though some historical facts aren't exact. Anyway, this isn't a documentary. As a story it works like a dream, the actors are unbelievably good - so it really feels unfair to start talking about Rickman and not others. So I'm just saying: they are all wonderful. But the movie is called "Rasputin".I've recently looked up films of Alan Rickman, partly because some of them are hard to find, but mostly because his way of acting is simply addictive. I think I finally know, why. It's a kind of pornography - of human soul. (Which is an embarrassing discovery, porn really isn't my cup of tea...) His Rasputin isn't just a calculating monk, who sees an opportunity to get a comfortable life, wine and women and power over people, but a man, who lives from moment to moment, uneducated, without manners, sensual, in some ways stupid and in some ways clever. At times you see a strong, manipulative, hypnotic monk who makes you believe in God and Virgin Mary and seems to be able to look into your soul, at times there is child-like sincerity and vulnerability. He believes he has a mission, but it also gives him pain, he sees things but doesn't see, how his conduct affects the falling empire. "I didn't choose to be holy!" he says like a weak human being, who has been trusted with a burden, that is much too heavy. Strong, vulnerable, wise, fallable, loving, selfish... Is this the real Rasputin? Very possibly. Human beings are just as mixed and as capable of being both angelic and devilish as Rickman shows - in this and other movies. Oh yes, I felt great pity for Rasputin, though I wouldn't want him living in my house. And I'm glad I don't know Rickman in person, he seems to know too well, what we people are like. Who wants her mind to be x-rayed? Even by Rickman (who is, I admit, in his own way, enchanting)? Watch this movie, if you want to understand history, people or acting. Look at these actors and actresses, they don't act, they are the characters. Rickman is just the best example of how to become someone else than one really is, whether it is Rasputin, Mesmer or other things he's done. Watch this!

Zandra Lee 2012-04-22 17:17:06

Wow.

Now, I'm normally not one for historical movies, but this film wasabsolutely magnificent. Beautiful performances from Alan Rickman, remindingus why he is one of Britain's great actors, along with Ian McKellen,anothersterling performance from him. Greta Scacchi effectively underplayed therole of the Tsarina, while there was a brief but excellent performance fromJames Frain, who is another young actor to watch. It is very hard to findfault in this film, as it was so well directed, written, acted, withwonderful costumes and sets, although I didn't realise how many Russianshada perfect english accent(ba-boom-tish). Excellent work allround.