Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot

Dir: Sergei M. Eisenstein

1946

*****

Probably the most overlooked sequel of all time. Ivan the Terrible is a two-part historical epic film about Ivan IV of Russia commissioned by Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, who admired and identified himself with Ivan, to be written and directed by the filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. Part I was released in 1944. Part II was not released until 1958, as it was banned on the order of Stalin, who became incensed over the depiction of Ivan therein. Stalin loved the first film and even awarded Eisenstein the prestigious Stalin Prize but the second film angered him and was subsequently banned and unreleased until both men were dead. Eisenstein had developed the scenario to require a third part to finish the story but, with the banning of Part II, filming of Part III was stopped; after Eisenstein's death in 1948, what had been completed was destroyed. Part II opens in the court of King Sigismund of Poland, to whom Kurbsky swears allegiance. Sigismund promises to make Kurbsky ruler of Ivan's territories, once he exploits the tsar's absence by conquering them. The plan is foiled when an emissary announces that Ivan has returned to Moscow. Ivan begins by reforming the land distribution, he takes the boyars' lands, then has them reinstalled as managers, increasing his own power at their expense. His friend Kolychev, who is now the monk Philip, rejoins him after a heated debate, and agrees to become metropolitan of Moscow on the condition that Ivan gives him the right to intercede for condemned men. This is mutually agreed upon but as soon as it is settled, Ivan, propelled by his lieutenant Malyuta Skuratov, finds a way around this by executing condemned men quickly, before Philip can use his right. In this way he has three of Philip's kinsmen executed. Fyodor Basmanov, the first of the Oprichniki, helps Ivan figure out that the Tsarina was poisoned and both suspect Efrosinia of poisoning the cup of wine. Ivan orders Fyodor not to say anything about it until he is certain beyond doubt of her guilt. The boyars, close to desperation, plead their case to Philip and eventually win him over. He vows to block Ivan's abuse of power, and confronts him in the cathedral while a miracle play is being presented. As the argument heats up, Ivan proclaims that he will be exactly what the boyars call him - terrible - and has Philip seized. This is when the film really gets good. The boyars now decide that their only option is to assassinate Ivan, and the novice Pyotr is selected to wield the knife. Ivan, now certain of Efrosinia's guilt, invites Vladimir to a banquet with the Oprichniki. Ivan gets Vladimir drunk while the Oprichniki sing and dance around them, Vladimir mentions that there is a plot to kill Ivan, and he is to replace him as Tsar. Fyodor Basmanov notices the assassin leaving, and signals Ivan, who, pretending surprise at Vladimir's revelation, suggests Vladimir try being Tsar for a while, and has the Oprichniki bring throne, orb, scepter, crown and royal robes, and they all bow down to "Tsar Vladimir." Then Ivan tells Vladimir to lead them to the cathedral in prayer, as a Tsar should lead. Hesitantly, Vladimir does. In the cathedral, the assassin runs up and stabs the mock Tsar and is immediately seized by Fyodor and Malyuta. Ivan orders them to release Pyotr and thanks him for killing the tsar's worst enemy. Efrosinia arrives, jubilant at the apparent death of Ivan, until she sees Ivan alive; rolling the corpse over, she realizes it is her own son. Ivan sentences her proclaiming that all his enemies within Moscow are vanquished and he can turn to those outside. The score for both films was composed by Sergei Prokofiev. Eisenstein remarked that Prokofiev was able to grasp the emotional mood, rhythm and structure of a scene immediately and have the score ready the next day. The score complements the film perfectly. The direction is beautifully composed and although most of the film was shot in black and white, there are color sequences in the second part, making this one of the earliest color films made in the Soviet Union. Ahead of its time in many respects and a template for many a historical epic to come. Peter Weller even admitted he based his physical actions while playing RoboCop on Cherkasov's performance of Ivan the Terrible, which is interesting as each character is depicted as a different animal in the way they move. Ivan is portrayed as a bird with his robes acting as his wings, the constant thrusting and tilting of his head, and the feathery like nature of his hair and beard. The bird symbolism will shift from prey to predatory throughout the films. Efrosinia is portrayed like a snake, to reinforce her evil nature and her camera shots always have her coming from the floor up, much like a snake coils up to attack. Alexei is portrayed as a dog to emphasize his loyalty. His hair is designed to mimic a dog's long, floppy ears, as well as his general mannerisms. One wonders what animal RoboCop was, but I digress. It’s a great shame that Part III never saw the light of day, while a few stills and a script exist, it remains one of the greatest lost films of all time. With Stalin’s volatile nature though we must be grateful we have what we do, I guess two out of three ain’t bad.