Ivan the Terrible: Difference between revisions

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[[File:IvanTheTerrible.jpg|frame]]
[[File:IvanTheTerrible.jpg|frame]]


'''''Ivan the Terrible''''' (Russian ''Иван Грозный, Ivan Groznyy'') was [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s second (and last) sound film, a spiritual successor to ''[[Alexander Nevsky]]''. Made under direct supervision of [[Josef Stalin|Joseph the Terrible]], who [[Draco in Leather Pants|idolized]] Ivan IV and [[Executive Meddling|personally intervened]] in the movie's production.
'''''Ivan the Terrible''''' (Russian ''Иван Грозный, Ivan Groznyy'') was [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s second (and last) sound film, a spiritual successor to ''[[Alexander Nevsky]]''. Made under direct supervision of [[Josef Stalin|Joseph the Terrible]], who [[Draco in Leather Pants|idolized]] Ivan IV and [[Executive Meddling|personally intervened]] in the movie's production.


The first film of the projected trilogy was released in 1944, to critical applause; the director was awarded the Stalin Prize (Soviet Nobel Prize-cum-Oscar). The reasons for critical success were [[Oscar Bait|pretty obvious]]: the movie presented Ivan the Terrible, a controversial and polarizing figure at the very least, as a national hero who bravely fought external and internal enemies in his quest to unite Russian lands.
The first film of the projected trilogy was released in 1944, to critical applause; the director was awarded the Stalin Prize (Soviet Nobel Prize-cum-Oscar). The reasons for critical success were [[Oscar Bait|pretty obvious]]: the movie presented Ivan the Terrible, a controversial and polarizing figure at the very least, as a national hero who bravely fought external and internal enemies in his quest to unite Russian lands.
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* [[Cultural Posturing]]: Both Ivan the Terrible and his enemies (e.g., the Tatar envoy and the Polish king) go through their share of national chest-thumping.
* [[Cultural Posturing]]: Both Ivan the Terrible and his enemies (e.g., the Tatar envoy and the Polish king) go through their share of national chest-thumping.
* [[Deadly Decadent Court]]: The boyars.
* [[Deadly Decadent Court]]: The boyars.
* [[Defector From Decadence]]: {{spoiler|Prince Kurbsky}} is hailed as one at the Polish court.
* [[Defector From Decadence]]: {{spoiler|Prince Kurbsky}} is hailed as one at the Polish court.
* [[Drag Queen]] + [[Villainous Crossdresser]]: Feodor Basmanov. Yep, your heard that right. In a 1945 Soviet movie. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asLpJY77qHg I am so totally not making this up].
* [[Drag Queen]] + [[Villainous Crossdresser]]: Feodor Basmanov. Yep, your heard that right. In a 1945 Soviet movie. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asLpJY77qHg I am so totally not making this up].
* [[Epic Movie]]: One of the most lavish spectacles of Stalin-era cinema.
* [[Epic Movie]]: One of the most lavish spectacles of Stalin-era cinema.
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** "The first English ships have entered the White Sea."
** "The first English ships have entered the White Sea."
** "We've beaten you, Germans-Livonians! [[Cold War|The time will come when you shall submit to Muscovy]]."
** "We've beaten you, Germans-Livonians! [[Cold War|The time will come when you shall submit to Muscovy]]."
* [[Gravity Master]]: Ivan, judging from his [[Badass Beard]].
* [[Gravity Master]]: Ivan, judging from his [[Badass Beard]].
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: While fighting against insidious, immoral, and corrupt boyars, the tsar slowly descends into brutality, paranoia and outright madness.
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: While fighting against insidious, immoral, and corrupt boyars, the tsar slowly descends into brutality, paranoia and outright madness.
* [[Historical Hero Upgrade]]: The film glosses over most of Ivan's failures and vices, presenting him as a heroic personality (at least, in Part I). However, Part II makes Ivan look like a sociopath, and even Part I has a [[Take That|seething critique]] lurking riiiight under the surface.
* [[Historical Hero Upgrade]]: The film glosses over most of Ivan's failures and vices, presenting him as a heroic personality (at least, in Part I). However, Part II makes Ivan look like a sociopath, and even Part I has a [[Take That|seething critique]] lurking riiiight under the surface.
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* [[Kick the Dog]]: Kurbsky's needless cruelty towards the Tatars foreshadows {{spoiler|his betrayal of the tsar}}.
* [[Kick the Dog]]: Kurbsky's needless cruelty towards the Tatars foreshadows {{spoiler|his betrayal of the tsar}}.
* [[Knight in Shining Armor]]: Both Ivan and Andrey Kurbsky wear ornate, shining plate armor during the siege scene.
* [[Knight in Shining Armor]]: Both Ivan and Andrey Kurbsky wear ornate, shining plate armor during the siege scene.
* [[Lonely At the Top]]: The entire premise of the movie.
* [[Lonely at the Top]]: The entire premise of the movie.
* [[Lost in Translation]]: Ivan's sobriquet, "Groznyi", really means more "Fearsome" than "Terrible"--but the modern English connotation of the word makes it sounds like, say, Pope John XII (AKA "Pope John the Bad")
* [[Lost in Translation]]: Ivan's sobriquet, "Groznyi", really means more "Fearsome" than "Terrible"--but the modern English connotation of the word makes it sounds like, say, Pope John XII (AKA "Pope John the Bad")
** YMMV, but it certainly fits the "Inspiring Terror" meaning of it, which-while its' been out of style for quite a bit- *has* been making a comeback.
** YMMV, but it certainly fits the "Inspiring Terror" meaning of it, which-while its' been out of style for quite a bit- *has* been making a comeback.
* [[Name Drop]]: Averted (in Part 1)--nobody calls Ivan "the Terrible".
* [[Name Drop]]: Averted (in Part 1)--nobody calls Ivan "the Terrible".
** Then played ''totally'' straight in part 2, when Ivan [[Chewing the Scenery|declares, quite melodramatically]], that
** Then played ''totally'' straight in part 2, when Ivan [[Chewing the Scenery|declares, quite melodramatically]], that
{{quote|"Henceforth, I shall be as you name me! I shall be...'''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Ivan the Terrible!!"]]'''}}
{{quote|"Henceforth, I shall be as you name me! I shall be...'''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Ivan the Terrible!!"]]'''}}
* [[Necessarily Evil]] + [[I Did What I Had to Do]]: The Oprichnina terror campaign.
* [[Necessarily Evil]] + [[I Did What I Had to Do]]: The Oprichnina terror campaign.
* [[New Era Speech]]: Ivan makes one right after the coronation, much to the boyars' dismay.
* [[New Era Speech]]: Ivan makes one right after the coronation, much to the boyars' dismay.
* [[Notable Original Music]]: The [[Sergei Prokofiev]] score.
* [[Notable Original Music]]: The [[Sergei Prokofiev]] score.
* [[Royals Who Actually Do Something]]: Ivan the Terrible personally commands his army during the siege of Kazan and tirelessly works to strengthen his realm.
* [[Royals Who Actually Do Something]]: Ivan the Terrible personally commands his army during the siege of Kazan and tirelessly works to strengthen his realm.
* [[Rule of Symbolism]]: The movie is rife with symbols, some pretty obvious, some quite intricate. [[wikipedia:Ivan the Terrible (film)|The Other Wiki]] does a good job of sorting them out.
* [[Rule of Symbolism]]: The movie is rife with symbols, some pretty obvious, some quite intricate. [[wikipedia:Ivan the Terrible (film)|The Other Wiki]] does a good job of sorting them out.
* [[Sanity Slippage]]: In the second movie, Ivan slowly descends into madness and wickedness.
* [[Sanity Slippage]]: In the second movie, Ivan slowly descends into madness and wickedness.
* [[Splash of Color]]: The Oprichnik banquet scene is filmed in color, making it look nightmarishly surreal.
* [[Splash of Color]]: The Oprichnik banquet scene is filmed in color, making it look nightmarishly surreal.
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[[Category:Films of the 1940s]]
[[Category:Films of the 1940s]]
[[Category:The Forties]]
[[Category:The Forties]]
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[[Category:Ivan the Terrible]]
[[Category:The Criterion Collection]]
[[Category:The Criterion Collection]]
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[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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