Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Based on the book by Robert K. Massie. Starring Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Tom Baker, Laurence Olivier, Jack Hawkins, Ian Holm, Michael Bryant, Lynne Frederick, Candace Glendenning, Fiona Fullerton, Roderic Noble, Harry Andrews, Ania Marson,Timothy West, Irene Worth, Katherine Schofield, Jean-Claude Drouot, John Hallam, John Wood, John McEnery, Vivian Pickles, Brian Cox, Eric Porter, Michael Redgrave, James Hazeldine, Muarice Denham, Roy Dotrice, Alan Webb, Leon Lissek, Vernon Dobtcheff, Alexander Knox, Diana Quick, Julian Glover, Martin Potter, Jeremy Brett (uncredited), Richard Warwick, John Shrapnel.
Many Oscars, Golden Globes etc. nominations and wins.
Many Oscars, Golden Globes etc. nominations and wins.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01A son.
00:05I have a son.
00:07Eight pounds.
00:12And Sonny, is she all right?
00:14Oh yes.
00:16Shall I make the announcement?
00:28It's incredible.
00:31I have a son.
00:49He's not the first boy ever born, you know.
00:52Does he have to be Alexis?
00:54Can't we call him something else?
00:56Alexis was a gentle Tsar.
00:57Perhaps the only one.
00:59Not counting you.
01:01I thought we'd go on having girls forever.
01:04I still can't believe it.
01:06Oh, you're dribbling.
01:07Oh, let me.
01:10I prayed so hard.
01:13I'm sure that's how it happened.
01:16Have you heard him cry?
01:18Not much.
01:19I'll pinch him, shall I?
01:20He's going to be enormous.
01:22Even bigger than your father was.
01:24We couldn't call him Alexander, could we?
01:27He's asleep.
01:28Undoubtedly, we've bored him.
01:32Do you want him for a minute?
01:34Not particularly.
01:46You're too gentle.
01:48You should slam your fist down, as your father always did.
01:50It's no use.
01:52Frowning helps.
01:57I never seem to see you anymore.
02:00My place is where I'm needed most.
02:03It must be hard to have so many people need you.
02:07I'll be patient.
02:09If I wait, my turn will come.
02:12Oh, Nicky.
02:14I'm sorry.
02:16I'm sorry.
02:17If I wait, my turn will come.
02:19Oh, Nicky.
02:22What a mess I make of things.
02:26I meant to look so nice for you.
02:29I meant our last night in Davardia to be beautiful.
02:31Beautiful?
02:47Sometimes I wonder how you live with me.
02:50I wonder too.
02:52Only I know I could never live without you.
02:56Sonny.
03:02Sonny.
03:08My decision stands.
03:11I've seen you out of courtesy.
03:13If you've come here to plead...
03:15I came to say goodbye, Batushka.
03:17I'm going home.
03:21I don't like St. Petersburg.
03:24It makes me drink too much.
03:26And when I drink,
03:29the women come.
03:32The women here are worse than the peasants in my village.
03:35No restraint.
03:40Is Batushka angry with me?
03:43She won't admit you even take a drink, much less...
03:47No.
03:49She believes in you completely.
03:51She is a saint.
03:54Batushka.
03:56If you need me while I'm gone,
03:58pretend I'm with you.
03:59Say the things that trouble you the way you always do.
04:02That will help.
04:04I only sit and listen anyway.
04:06The voice of God is in you.
04:09And no harm will come.
04:26It was necessary.
04:27Why?
04:29Stolypin recommended it.
04:31Our friend warned me he was bad.
04:33Rasputin drinks, takes bribes.
04:35He is an adulterer.
04:37He's a saint.
04:39Little men always abuse them.
04:41I can show you the police reports.
04:43More little men?
04:45People say he sleeps with you.
04:47What do I care what people think?
04:49I have to care.
04:51I want him.
04:53Bring him back.
04:55I can't.
04:57We have doctors.
04:59Damn you and your doctors. What about my son?
05:01I have other important things to answer for.
05:03I don't.
05:05Give me Rasputin back.
05:07No, I will not.
05:09If baby dies, you murdered him.
05:11I didn't give him hemophilia.
05:13Murderer. I'll never forgive you.
05:15You gave it to him. It was you.
05:17Austria wants to humiliate us.
05:19We must show her we'll be firm.
05:21We need the general mobilization
05:23or your government will be outmaneuvered.
05:25But if we mobilize,
05:27they will have to.
05:29And France, and England.
05:31Nobody will be able to stop.
05:36Send a telegram to the Kaiser
05:38with a personal message from me
05:40and say that though we've both mobilized,
05:42it doesn't mean we'll fight
05:44and nothing will break our old friendship.
05:46Sign it, Nicky.
05:52Order the general mobilization.
05:54Madness.
05:57Madness.
06:02This one can't get to the Kaiser soon enough, can you?
06:11I'm old, sir.
06:14I've seen so many wars.
06:17They all seemed so important at the time.
06:19Now,
06:21I don't even remember what they were called.
06:25Millions of dead men.
06:30I don't know why.
06:32Nobody knows.
06:39You could so easily stop this war, sir.
06:42All you have to do is to get up.
06:45Now.
06:49Quietly.
06:51Go home to your family.
06:54You'd be the greatest of all that sighs.
07:06Your Majesty's foreign minister, Mr. Sazonoff,
07:09has received a note from the German ambassador.
07:15Your Majesty,
07:16at ten minutes past seven this evening,
07:19Germany declared war on Russia.
07:40Gentlemen,
07:43Germany has declared war on Russia.
07:47God save Russia.
07:50God save the Tsar.
07:53God save the Tsar.
08:02Thank God you're here.
08:04Prepare an order.
08:05Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's too late.
08:07The Duma has appointed a provisional government.
08:11And all your ministers have been arrested.
08:16Order your troops
08:19to march...
08:20At this moment, Your Majesty,
08:23if my troops knew the Tsar was here,
08:25there's every chance they would turn on you.
08:27Whole garrisons are going over.
08:31Sire, the Duma also insists
08:36on your abdication.
08:46Your Majesty.
09:04Surely my generals stand with me.
09:07I have already
09:09been in touch with the commanders.
09:12General Kornilov,
09:14I cannot order an attack on Petersburg.
09:19Admiral of the Baltic Fleet,
09:21Nepenin,
09:24it is with greatest difficulty
09:26I keep my troops and the fleet in check.
09:29I urge the Tsar to abdicate.
09:34General Ruski,
09:36cannot answer for my troops.
09:39I implore His Majesty to abdicate.
09:41His Imperial Highness General Nicholas Nikolayevich...
09:43What does Nikolayevich say?
09:45On my knees,
09:47I beg you to abdicate
09:50and save the dynasty.
10:05Tell me, Doctor Fedorov,
10:07if my son,
10:08as the future Tsar,
10:09would remain behind
10:11to be educated in Russia
10:13while I and my family went abroad,
10:17how long would he be likely to live?
10:20Deprived of your love and care
10:22on what I refer to as customary surroundings?
10:25It's hard to say.
10:26It's a matter of luck and chance, Your Majesty.
10:28There are no real statistics.
10:30One would hope that he could live a normal span of life,
10:33but, well,
10:35twenty
10:37would be a bad number.
10:39A good age.
10:53Accordingly,
10:54in agreement with the Imperial Duma,
10:56we have thought it right to abdicate from the Russian throne
10:59and to lay down the supreme power.
11:01Therefore...
11:02It seems in order.
11:04May I?
11:07Therefore, in the name of...
11:08Don't tear it up.
11:12Shall I sign it in your lap?
11:23I wish to add one thing more.
11:26I shall abdicate for myself
11:28and also for my son.
11:31But, Your Majesty,
11:33the Duma thought that
11:34everyone expected that your son would...
11:37May I know the reasons?
11:39My reasons are personal.
11:42In that case, I shall add the appropriate clause.
11:48It will be spring soon at Livadia.
11:52That's where you'll send us, I imagine.
11:55Yes, if you like.
11:57We've had no time to plan ahead.
12:01I often thought I should like to be a king.
12:02I often thought I should like to be a country gentleman.
12:05I've always liked to watch things grow.
12:08It's lovely there.
12:11The sun is warm
12:14and they say the soil is very good.
12:17Much of the happiness I've known I've had there.
12:20It's now in order.
12:33March...
12:36the 15th,
12:3819,
12:4017.
12:44The height of March.
13:03If only you had acted sooner, sir.
13:08You think this could have been avoided?
13:21My name is Correggio.
13:23I am the king of Livadia.
13:25I am the king of Livadia.
13:27I am the king of Livadia.
13:29I am the king of Livadia.
13:31My name is Kerensky.
13:34I always used to offer sherry in this room.
13:38There's none left.
13:40I haven't much time. We must talk.
13:42What's happening to the war?
13:44We hear the soldiers talking.
13:46One hears of terrible defeats.
13:48Will we fight on?
13:50Certainly.
13:52The future of my government depends on it.
13:54We stand pledged to victory.
13:56What all of us have been through has some meaning after all.
14:01Will we be staying here much longer?
14:04You will be leaving here in a few days.
14:07All we do is dream of England.
14:10We've been very happy there.
14:12May I sit down?
14:14I'm sorry.
14:17England won't accept you.
14:21Won't accept?
14:24King George is my cousin.
14:26He doesn't seem to want you either.
14:28He has to think of his own position.
14:31Of course.
14:33He must not make difficulties for us.
14:36Nor will the French.
14:38None of our allies want to risk it.
14:41They are at war to save democracy.
14:44And you were a tyrant.
14:46I'm a prisoner.
14:48Damn them, I'm a father with a family.
14:50You will be safe.
14:52I'll see to that.
14:54There's blood enough on everybody's hands.
14:56I won't have yours on mine.
14:57Just as soon as possible, you'll be leaving for Siberia.
15:00To a village near Tobolsk.
15:02Siberia?
15:04You will be staying there for a week or so
15:06until I can organize some way for you to leave the country.
15:08From there on, I wash my hands of you.
15:14Why not send us out to Finland?
15:16It's just 30 miles away.
15:18I'd never get you through St. Petersburg alive.
15:20Do you realize I'm all that stands between you and the bloc?
15:24No munitions.
15:25No supplies.
15:27I don't know where the army stands.
15:31Treasury is bankrupt.
15:33The students riot.
15:35Workers carry arms.
15:37The socialists want this.
15:39The Mensheviks want that.
15:41The radicals, the centrists, the cadets.
15:44The Bolsheviks.
15:46I can't arrest them even if I wanted to.
15:49We have rights and laws now.
15:51You had power and no laws.
15:53I have laws and no power.
15:56I wish I could help you.
15:58You had your chances.
16:01I wish I had mine.
16:13Can't your government protect us here?
16:15We're so out of touch.
16:17Has your government lost it?
16:19Has your government lost its authority, too?
16:21My government is 3,000 miles away.
16:24Out here, they listen to us when they want to, when they don't.
16:27The lines go dead.
16:29The Ural Soviet has ordered your arrest.
16:32They have a prison just for you.
16:35In a capital prison.
16:37You can't get out.
16:39You can't get out.
16:41You can't get out.
16:43You can't get out.
16:45You can't get out.
16:46They have a prison just for you.
16:48In Ekaterinburg.
16:50You're less than popular out here.
16:52Am I beloved in Moscow?
16:55Do they want me for a public trial, is that it?
16:59And when they find me guilty, what then?
17:02They can roast you on a spit for all I care.
17:06My duty is to get you there intact.
17:09From now on, strict security will be observed.
17:12You're confined to this house until we leave here.
17:14I'll have him first.
17:16Yes, sir.
17:39I'm sorry.
17:41He's an educated man, at any rate.
17:44They could have sent an executioner.
17:47There's no hope, is there, father?
17:52Nonsense.
17:54None at all.
18:13The girls won't stop crying.
18:14How is he?
18:16I don't know.
18:18It's not as bad as some.
18:20The knee will go on swelling for a bit.
18:22It may be weeks before he walks again.
18:25But he'll mend.
18:27Mend.
18:34I'm all right, father.
18:36Botkin tells me you'll be fine.
18:38I tripped.
18:40I don't believe you.
18:41I ought to sleep.
18:43They told me to get some rest.
18:45We are going God knows why to God knows where,
18:48and you do this.
18:50I have a family to protect.
18:54What are you doing for them?
18:56What did you ever do?
18:58You abdicated.
19:00You gave in.
19:02I thought Czars had to die.
19:04I did it for your sake.
19:06You could have fought.
19:08For you and Mama and the girls.
19:09Look at us.
19:11Look where you put us.
19:14Thinking back.
19:18When I think back, I can see them all so clearly now.
19:22The corners that I didn't turn.
19:26You've had no life.
19:29The girls have had no life.
19:32I wasted you.
19:35I had your future in my hands and spent it.
19:39Look at you.
19:41You're all I see.
19:43Your faces.
19:46Why did you abdicate for me?
19:48Why?
19:50You didn't even ask.
19:52I didn't want you to pay for my mistakes.
19:54Am I not paying for them now?
19:56Aren't all of us?
19:58I should have had a chance.
20:01The right to live my own life.
20:03Make my own decisions.
20:05I could have tried to help Russia.
20:07Mother, my sisters and perhaps even you.
20:11I could have been a Romanov.
20:14A Tsar.
20:16It all went wrong.
20:19I hardly know why or how.
20:23Instead I just bleed.
20:26It's my fate.
20:28I bleed.
20:31I love you.
20:34Please understand.
20:38I do, Father.
20:42But does it really matter?
21:07Mother!
21:22Mother!
21:24Mother!
21:29Mother!
21:37Mother!
21:53Get away!
22:02Get him!
22:04Get him!
22:08Get him!
22:10What are you doing?
22:12Only Russians in the truck. You're Swiss neutral.
22:14They're with us.
22:15I've got my orders.
22:16Get him!
22:19Are you all right?
22:21I'm trying to see you!
22:28Get out. Come on.
22:31Hurry up. Come on.
22:37Come on.
22:49You must be very tired.
22:51Come inside.
22:53And get dry.
23:07It's cold. Let it go.
23:38You're dead.
23:40That's all you know about.
23:42You murdered everything!
23:44You hurt him and by God!
23:46You struck the Tsar.
23:59Bring him outside.
24:02Fasting each morning.
24:04Put Alexei's brace on.
24:05I won't let them hurt you.
24:07Strap it on tight, Your Majesty.
24:09He doesn't like it.
24:10But it's good for him.
24:12Dear God!
24:17I won't let them.
24:19I won't let them.
24:44You can save him.
24:46You can stop it.
24:47Certainly.
24:48Your man started it.
24:50He should be punished.
24:52He will be.
24:53And Nagorny?
24:56Taking someone's life.
24:59No man should have that power.
25:01You had it.
25:03Yes.
25:05And I have learned that a strong man has no need of power.
25:09And a weak man is destroyed by it.
25:13I am being punished for what I have done.
25:16Nagorny is innocent.
25:18He's like a child.
25:20You don't shoot children, do you?
25:22In your new world, are there penalties for innocence?
25:25Sometimes.
25:29It takes a wise judge to know who is innocent
25:33and who is guilty.
25:36I wish I knew.
25:40Well, I'll do what I can.
25:53Listen.
25:54Nicolasha writes,
25:56saw Vladimir walking in the Nevsky prospect,
25:59old fool all dressed up in his imperial gold uniform.
26:03Nobody seemed to mind.
26:05Listen to Grandmama.
26:07Remember to dress for dinner.
26:09It keeps up one's dignity and impresses the people.
26:13Oh, no, dress for dinner.
26:15Nicolasha says he's going to join her soon in the Crimea.
26:18Vladimir.
26:19He says,
26:20my dear, I've seen this Lenin.
26:22His suit is wrinkled and he wears a worker's cap.
26:24The man will never make us laugh.
26:26Monsieur Gilliard's still in Ekaterinburg.
26:28He's trying to come and see us.
26:30Mama's off to England in a month or so.
26:33She says the spring was late this year,
26:35but very beautiful.
26:39Lord, but it's good to be alive.
26:42The world is like a field in summer,
26:45bursting with good things.
26:47One day,
26:49and all the wars are over,
26:51someone young will lead us to the harvest.
26:55As long as there are children,
26:57anything is possible.