Most of us know little about Russian history with much of it
happening prior to the Communist takeover given little attention. We hear about
Rasputin and Nicholas and Alexandria but not much, at least not as much as with
other royal families. The only other story to receive much attention was that
of Anastasia, the supposed lost daughter of the royal family who escaped
execution and survived. Or did she?
Many came forward to claim they were Anastasia but none as
famous as Anna Anderson. Here story was the basis for this film and several
others. Her claim to be the long lost daughter lasted for decades and it wasn’t
until DNA results confirmed or denied her claim that the results were
determined. But what we have here is a story that revolves around that possibility.
Yul Brynner, fresh from his successes with THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS and THE KING AND I, stars as General Sergei Pavlovich Bounine, a
Russian exile in Paris of nefarious character who will do anything to possess
power and money. Displaced as he is we get the impression he is not above
criminal activity and has been searching for just the right person to pass off
as the long lost Anastasia.
It seems he has found the perfect foil for his plan, a woman
who had a past involving a stay in an asylum, Anna Koureff (Ingrid Bergman).
Something in her background makes it seem that she could potentially actually
be the woman sought, but the odds are against it. With a bit of training and
assistance Bounine intends to pass Anna off as the real thing and as a result
lay partial claim to £10 million laying in an English bank, leftover funds from
the royal family.
The only way to accomplish this is to pass Anna off as
Anastasia to the Dowager Empress Marie Fedorovona (Helen Hayes) in Copenhagen.
Hers is the determining factor that will decide if Anna is in fact Anastasia or
not. With so many having tried to lay claim to the title it will not be an easy
task.
But we have more going on here underneath the surface as
Hollywood is want to do. As Bounine trains Anna the pair become close to one
another. Beneath his brusque manner and treatment of Anna and her confusion as
to whether or not she is who he has told her, an affection begins to grow. It’s
subtle, nearly not on display, but there all the more time they spend together.
Whether or not the end result will involve them as a couple is in doubt but the
chance is there.
The movie is not quite a romance but evolves into one
coupled equally with the historical retelling of the search for Anastasia. This
blending of fact and fiction makes for a slow moving film but an entertaining
one at the same time. The film marked a comeback of sorts for actress Bergman
who had fallen out of favor due to the strict moral at the time. Having had an
open affair with director Roberto Rossellini in 1950 she had been denounced and
looked down upon in American society. But her talent shown through and she
worked her way back into the public eye with films like this one.
Once more Twilight Time has done an excellent job with the
transfer on display here. I’ve yet to see anything delivered from them that has
fallen short. And like all of their titles this one is limited to so many
copies so if you’re interested get one before they’re gone.
Click here to order.
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