As Ivan the Terrible attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar.
This film has made it to Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list, as well as many other lists of movies to see before you die. And, indeed, it really is an incredible story of Russia, the Tsar, the church and the boyars (the old aristocracy in Russia).
But what makes the film most notable is not the film itself (though it is good), but its production history. This film upset Stalin himself, effectively banning the movie for over a decade, as well as resulting in the cancellation of part three and essentially ending Sergei Eisensein's film career. As Eisenstein is possibly the greatest Russian director of all time, this is quite a feat.
This film has made it to Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list, as well as many other lists of movies to see before you die. And, indeed, it really is an incredible story of Russia, the Tsar, the church and the boyars (the old aristocracy in Russia).
But what makes the film most notable is not the film itself (though it is good), but its production history. This film upset Stalin himself, effectively banning the movie for over a decade, as well as resulting in the cancellation of part three and essentially ending Sergei Eisensein's film career. As Eisenstein is possibly the greatest Russian director of all time, this is quite a feat.