Ivan the Terrible, Part I
1944 · Movie · NR · 95 min · ★ 7.3 · 95% critics
In the early years of a ruler’s reign, a newly crowned leader tries to unite a divided nation while facing betrayal from powerful nobles and even trusted allies. This first chapter of an unfinished historical biopic follows court intrigue, shifting loyalties, and the heavy demands of power amid threats from within and beyond the borders.
Also known as Ivan the Terrible · Ivan the Terrible, Part One
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Streaming on HBO Max.
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Details
- Original title
- Иван Грозный
- Years
- 1944
- Release date
- 1944-11-11
- Language
- Russian
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (227 votes)
About
If you enjoy stylized historical epics with intense court intrigue and a propaganda-era edge, this may work for you, especially if you liked Battleship Potemkin or Alexander Nevsky; Not for you if you want fast pacing or naturalistic acting.
Pros: striking shadows and imagery; grand historical atmosphere; strong central performance | Cons: theatrical, exaggerated acting; slow, drawn-out pacing; propaganda-heavy tone
Themes
- coronation
- exile
- treason
- tatars
- wedding
- church
- intrigue
- medieval
Cast & crew
Nikolai Cherkasov
as Czar Ivan IV
Lyudmila Tselikovskaya
as Czarina Anastasia Romanovna
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 Boyar Fyodor Kolychev
Alexander Mgebrov
as Novgorod's Archbishop Pimen
Directed by Sergei Eisenstein