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Ivan Groznyy I (1944)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Sergei M. Eisenstein (writer)
Release Date:
8 March 1947 (USA)
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Plot:
During the early part of his reign, Ivan the Terrible faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he seeks to unite the Russian people. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win
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User Comments:
Majestic operatic film, restored with glory
more (44 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Nikolai Cherkasov | ... | Czar Ivan IV | |
| Lyudmila Tselikovskaya | ... | Czarina Anastasia Romanovna | |
| Serafima Birman | ... | Boyarina Efrosinia Staritskaya | |
| Mikhail Nazvanov | ... | Prince Andrei Kurbsky | |
| Mikhail Zharov | ... | Czar's Guard Malyuta Skuratov | |
| Amvrosi Buchma | ... | Czar's Guard Aleksei Basmanov | |
| Mikhail Kuznetsov | ... | Fyodor Basmanov | |
| Pavel Kadochnikov | ... | Vladimir Andreyevich Staritsky | |
| Andrei Abrikosov | ... | Boyar Fyodor Kolychev | |
| Aleksandr Mgebrov | ... | Novgorod's Archbishop Pimen | |
| Maksim Mikhajlov | ... | Archdeacon | |
| Vsevolod Pudovkin | ... | Nikola, Simpleton Beggar | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Pavel Massalsky | ... | Sigismond - King of Poland | |
| Sergei Stolyarov | |||
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Иван Грозный (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Ivan the Terrible, Part One (USA)
Ivane Mriskhane, natsili pirveli (Soviet Union: Georgian title)
Ivan, o Terrível - Parte I (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Iivana Julma (Finland) [fi]
Iván el terrible (Spain) [es]
Ivan den förskräcklige (Sweden) [sv]
Ivan il terribile (Italy) [it]
Ivan le terrible (France) [fr]
Ivan, o tromeros (Greece) [el]
Iwan, der Schreckliche I (Germany) [de]
Korkunç Ivan (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Rettegett Iván 1. (Hungary) [hu]
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Ivan the Terrible, Part One (USA)
Ivane Mriskhane, natsili pirveli (Soviet Union: Georgian title)
Ivan, o Terrível - Parte I (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Iivana Julma (Finland) [fi]
Iván el terrible (Spain) [es]
Ivan den förskräcklige (Sweden) [sv]
Ivan il terribile (Italy) [it]
Ivan le terrible (France) [fr]
Ivan, o tromeros (Greece) [el]
Iwan, der Schreckliche I (Germany) [de]
Korkunç Ivan (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Rettegett Iván 1. (Hungary) [hu]
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
103 min | USA:95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When the people in the village ask Ivan to come back to Moscow, some shots show people in the background standing, other shots show them kneeling.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hitler - ein Film aus Deutschland (1977)
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FAQ
Have critics praised this film unanimously?more
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Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Ivan Groznyy I (1944)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Best Eisenstein film? | belgamino |
| English Speaking Remake | themistofthisabyss |
| Ivan the Terrible and Fantasia | liron_zu |
| One of the Masterworks | meldada |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
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| Ivan Groznyy II: Boyarsky zagovor | Andrey Rublyov | Aleksandr Nevskiy | Giant | Sunshine |
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Biography section | IMDb Soviet Union section | Add this title to MyMovies |


Eisenstein's 'Ivan the Terrible' once featured in an American book of the 50 worst films of all times, along with 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' and 'Plan 9 from Outer Space'.
But as true cinemaniacs acknowledge, 'Ivan', along with 'Ivan the Terrible Part 2', is one of the great masterpieces of the screen. Its style is highly artificial, the acting operatic with no condescension to realism. But the viewer is swept away by the stylised pacing, the way each scene is so precisely plotted and designed -- each camera shot becomes a precious ornamented jewel. The film is, like the earlier 'Alexander Nevsky', as much a vehicle for the great Russian composer Prokofiev as for Eisenstein -- the two attained a cinematic union of image and music which has been rarely equaled since.
The two 'Image' Region 1 DVDs for Ivan Parts One and Two are spartan affairs, with no added features. The orchestral soundtrack is definitely low-fi. But the print sources must have been excellent -- the black-and-white prints are as lustrous as the finest modern movie, the images sharp and clear. And when the film suddenly switches from black-and-white and erupts in colour, the colour is dense and brilliant, unlike the bleached and pale versions usually doing the art-cinema rounds.
How fantastic to have available such treasures on DVD, in such pristine condition! Buy! Buy! Buy!