Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot
The second installment in a planned three-part epic biopic of Russian Czar Ivan Grozny, conceived by Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein at the behest of Josef Stalin. Production of the epic was halted before the third part could be filmed, due to producer dissatisfaction with Eisenstein's incorporation of forbidden experimental filming techniques, more evident in this part than in the first. Consequently, this second chapter was banned from screenings until after the deaths of both Eisenstein and Stalin and following a shift in attitude among later Soviet leadership. In this segment, as Ivan the Terrible moves to consolidate power by building a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, scheme to assassinate him.
Director(s)
Vsevolod Pudovkin
Erik Pyryev
Semyon Timoshenko
Sergei Eisenstein
Cast & Crew
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Nikolay Cherkasov picks up well from where we left the first part of Sergei Eisenstein's depiction of the life and times of this infamous Russian Tsar. Having now established a bit of stability for his country, he now tries to hold onto it. He now tries to establish an army to cement his reign whilst his aunt Efrosinia (Serafima Birman) still promotes the interests of her son Vladimir (Pavel Kadochnikov). With the help of the boyars who are also unhappy with his rule, they set about deposing him. Whereas part one was very much more about the rise of Ivan IV, this second episode also focuses a little more on the others, and Kadochnikov performs well as the would-be pretender as does Birman as his scheming mother and his friend "Philip" the monk (Andrei Abrikosov) whom he installs as the powerful Metropolitan Archbishop of Moscow. There are plenty of other rich character actors too amongst his soldiers, and some of the darkness and melancholy is replaced - partly by the use of colour intermittently throughout - with a sort of cinematic optimism. Again, the message of Russian (Soviet) unity is writ large, but here we start to see a little more of a benign-ness in the emperor. Sure, he still has his ruthless streak, but he is clearly looking forward more in this; not necessarily to a successor but to a strong and firm bedrock for the future of his country and it's people under his own, divinely inspired, control. The photography is intimate and striking; the facial expressions and wonderful score continue to imbue the characters with personas that no amount of deftly written dialogue could provide. That said, the dialogue is still sparing and effective and the pace moves along in a lively and interesting manner. It looks like an authentic glimpse into 16th century Russian court life, full of intrigues and plotting and I loved it just as much as the first part.
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Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot FAQs
The directors of Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot are Vsevolod Pudovkin, Erik Pyryev, Semyon Timoshenko, and Sergei Eisenstein.
The cast of Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot includes Nikolai Cherkasov as Czar Ivan IV, Serafima Birman as Boyarina Efrosinia Staritskaya, Mikhail Nazvanov as Prince Andrei Kurbsky, Mikhail Zharov as Czar's Guard Malyuta Skuratov, Amvrosii Buchma as Czar's Guard Aleksei Basmanov, Mikhail Kuznetsov as Fyodor Basmanov, Pavel Kadochnikov as Vladimir Andreyevich Staritsky, Andrei Abrikosov as Archbishop Philip (formerly Fyodor Kolychev), Alexander Mgebrov as Novgorod's Archbishop Pimen, Vladimir Balashov as Pyotr Volynets, Aleksandr Rumnyov as The Stranger (uncredited), Pavel Massalsky as King Sigismund of Poland, and more.
The duration of Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot is 1h 22 mins.
Yes. You can watch the Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot was released on 10 Oct 1958.
Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot is listed under History and Drama on Fanbiz.
Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 8.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "Nikolay Cherkasov picks up well from where we left the first part of Sergei Eisenstein's depiction of the life and times of this infamous Russian Tsar. Having now established a..."
