Drama, Movie Reviews

Anastasia

Drama / Mystery 1956 / 105 min Rating: 7/10 In 1918 Communist revolutionaries murdered the Czar and his family, and for years afterwards rumors persisted that the Czar’s youngest daughter, Anastasia, survived the massacre. And because the Communists themselves kept telling different stories about the execution – from blaming it on others, to denying it happened – they created fertile ground for the rumors to grow and spread. And in the years that followed, several women stepped forward claiming to be Anastasia. This film is based on premise never proven – the notion that one of those women really was the "Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia." The year is 1928, and an exiled Russian general has hatched on a scheme. He figures he can claim the Anastasia’s royal inheritance – worth 10 million pounds – if he can find a young woman of the right age and look to impersonate Anastasia. He settles on a young amnesiac and starts teaching her how to walk and talk and react as Anastasia would. But when the young woman seems to know far more about Anastasia than she has ever been taught, the general starts to wonder if this woman really is the royal princess! Cautions I was trying to come up with one, because this is a remarkably objection-free film. A despairing Anastasia does try to thrown herself into the river at the start of the film, but is stopped. To find a concern I'll note that the 1997 animated film of the same name is, despite its G-rating, scarier. That's because the animated Anastasia brings in a villain, Rasputin, who was a real, manipulative person, but who wasn't the spiteful sorcerer shown here. Rasputin calls on dark demonic forces to curse Anastasia, and you just have to wonder what the animators were thinking. So, for a film you can watch with kids around, stick with the 1956 classic. Conclusion If you like stories that bring the past to life, this will grab you. There's also an air of mystery here, an intriguing story mom and dad can appreciate, free of any content concerns. But while it's safe enough to view around children, it also won't interest them. Anastasia is well acted, with Ingrid Bergman winning an Oscar for her performance, but this is dialogue-driven. It's for the adults who can appreciate a well-written story, but Anastasia doesn't have that whole family appeal. Check out the trailer below.