Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5025 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-12-02
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German, Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 165 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Perhaps the quintessential example of the intimate epic, Nicholas and Alexandra is the compelling story of Nicholas II (Michael Jayston), the last Czar of Russia, and his wife Alexandra (Janet Suzman). Director Franklin J Schaffner frames the intimate lives of the Imperial Couple against the dramatic backdrop of the Russian Revolution, creating the filmic equivalent of a monumental frieze. Private and public lives intersect when Alexandra, who has clearly read Macbeth, influences Nicholas into several misguided actions while coping with her haemophilic newborn son. Schaffner builds suspense wonderfully as he illuminates the couple's mysterious bond to the mystical Rasputin (Tom Baker) and the events leading to their execution. Nominated for Best Picture, the splendidly lensed Nicholas and Alexandra earned two Oscars for its delicious eye candy (Art Direction, Costume Design). --Kevin Mulhall

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
English
Region 2

Synopsis
The story of the final years of Tsar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra of Russia, and the revolution which turned their lives upside down, and changed the world. Academy Award Nominations: 6, including Best Picture. Academy Awards: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design.

Customer Reviews

Royal family genocide movie at its best--
Excellent historical movie Suzman is bril. as the the ill fated Tzarina (is that right?) How the angry mobs were allowed to wipe out one of the most famous Royal families of Europe while us British stood back and let it happen.And yes,we need not have as all the murderous signs were there long enough for us to act--superb film and worth watching 10 times over.

Brilliant movie of the downfall of the last Tsar.
This movie is absolutely brilliant with some fine acting by Michael Jayston and Janet Suzman as the last Tsar and Tsarina of Imperial Russia. Tom Baker is also very good as the mad monk Rasputin. The editing isn`t very great and sometimes it is quite hard to follow the plot of the movie. Some points of the movie are not very historically accurate but they do try and cram the last 25 years or so of the Tsar`s life into 160 minutes. Altogether a very good movie as an introduction to the lifes of the Romanov`s and the downfall of the Imperial Family.

Brilliant movie, but a seriously dodgy DVD - get the video!
I'd just like that this movie is excellent, the acting is perfect, the storyline really compelling, the soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and the director ought to have won an oscar - the film really evokes a feeling of 'Mother Russia', and it brings out the full drama and turbulence of the Russian Revolution. It's such a unique, beautiful film - many of the scenes will stay with you long after you have seen the film and it's one of my favourites.

The problem is not the movie, it's this DVD. Am I right in thinking this DVD used different takes than the original film? It seemed to use takes which weren't as top-notch as the original movie, it incorporated some 'extra scenes' of err... circumspect quality (there was a good reason they were left out!) into the main feature, and as a whole, the film looked sloppy and messy with bad editing - it just didn't go together like the original film.

To add to this, the sound on this DVD is really bad, it was either extremely loud or extremely quiet, and I kept having to mess about with the volume every 2 seconds.

All in all, this is a really good film and it's just a shame that the DVD doesn't do full justice to it. If you want to see 'Nicholas and Alexandra' in it's original form (the way it's meant to be!) get the video. Only watch this if you absolutely MUST see the extra scenes (which are fairly pointless).

And there were no extras in this either...how cheap is that!