The Death of Ivan the Terrible, (Russian: Смерть Иоанна Грозного, romanized: Smert Ioanna Groznogo) is a 1909 Russian short film directed and written by Vasili Goncharov.
Contents
Plot
The film is based on plays by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy.
Cast
A. Slavin as Ivan the Terrible
Yelizaveta Uvarova as Tsarina
S. Tarasov as Boris Godunov
Nikolai Vekov as Nagoy, boyar
Yakov Protazanov as Garaburda
Production
Role of Garaburda was the actor debut for Yakov Protazanov.
Actor Slavin, who performed the role of Ivan the Terrible, was too plump for the image of the king, known including asceticism. Its fullness has become one of the most common viewers claims to the film.
Reception
The Russian trade journal Cine-Phono criticized the quality of cinematography:
But imagine a film like The Death of Ivan the Terrible reaching the French. They won't laugh at it; they'll just think about how low the Russian film industry stands, along with photography and the performing arts. They won't laugh, no, but we'll blush and weep with frustration. What would be simpler than either leaving The Death of Ivan the Terrible alone, or inviting our best actors—Stanislavsky's—to produce it, and an experienced film company to film it.