» Rasputin (1996)

Rasputin (1996) Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: short on detail
Comment: THIS DVD DOES NOT HAVE SUBTITLES FOR HARD OF HEARING. IT COMES WITH DUTCH SUBTILES EMBEDED WHICH YOU HAVE TO REMOVE. OTHERWISE ITS A GOOG FILM ANDF THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET ONE WITH HARD OF HEARING SUBTITLES IS TO RENT FROM AMAZON.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Alan Rickman is Rasputin!
Comment: 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.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Acting~ Poor historical record
Comment: The opening titles allege that this movie is based on fact. Well, yes, it is - sort of - but it could only at best be described as a strait-jacketed version, stripped down to the bare bones. No meat on this baby! Good acting, especially from Alan Rickman in the title role but SO MANY real-life characters missing and so many incidents leap-frogged over. The story of the meddlesome monk whose powers to heal the haemophiliac tsarevich disastrously influenced the decision-making of Nicholas and Alexandra is monumental in its tragedy but alas, this version cannot even be accorded the Reader's Digest seal of respectable abridgement. One gets the feeling that this may very well have been intended as a more fully-fleshed version of events but all the juices and flavors have been drained out to accommodate the lowest common denominator in viewership. This is a runaway train with no stops for the viewer to absorb the historical scenery. So much background information is missing. So little explanation is given for the sequence of events that brought about the fall of the Romanovs. And was Rasputin really a mind-reader??? Gimme a break! Even though Rasputin is the focus of the movie the story is that of the Romanov family and they deserve a much deeper and sympathetic evaluation than this Cliff Notes special. An abysmally wasted opportunity that merely skims the surface of things and insults the viewer's intelligence.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Rasputin
Comment: All I want to know is, When will HBO release the DVD???!!! I love this production!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Stunning...
Comment: 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.

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