200 Movies, 1 Woman, 1 Blog

Anastasia, 1997, USA

I was disappointed by this movie. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it as much as I would have had I not known the actual story of Anastasia and her family. Their story is a sad one. Czar Nicholas II is generally regarded as an inept leader and during the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks seized power. The former Czar and his family insisted on staying in Russia and eventually they were all murdered in 1918. They didn’t deserve to die and it’s a real tragedy. For years, many women came forward and claimed to be Anastasia, the Czar’s youngest daughter, because her body hadn’t been found. However, it has been found and DNA tests prove that all of the women were lying. Nevertheless, it was a popular legend.

The movie

Anastasia is based on that legend. Young Anastasia (Meg Ryan) and her grandmother (Angela Lansbury) escape the palace with the help of a young boy. The revolution has started because the evil Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) used magic to instill dissent among the people. Years after Anastasia escapes, she comes across Dimitri (John Cusack), a conman who wants to find an actress able to convince the dowager empress that she’s the lost Anastasia. Anastasia can’t remember her past but is desperate to find her family so she agrees to go to Paris to meet the dowager empress.

Yes, I know it’s a movie made for kids. I knew it wouldn’t be “historically accurate”. When magic is used to create dissent among the people, you know it’s going to take a few liberties with the real events. After all, who needs magic to create anger among the masses?

Despite my knowledge that it wouldn’t have anything in common to the real story, I was still annoyed. I pointed out historical inaccuracy after inaccuracy. Luckily I watched it alone so nobody could get mad at me. It was a cute movie, and it was beautifully animated, but I just couldn’t get into it. At times, I found myself searching Wikipedia on my phone so I could learn more about the “real” story as opposed to the fictional one shown on screen.

I don’t think it’s terrible, though. In fact, I think it could be good for children. I didn’t learn any Russian history until I entered University. I’m a real history nerd and took a few European history courses, and I learned so much. How did I get through primary and secondary school without learning about the Russian Revolution? That should be taught in high school! It’s an important world event. I do think this movie will introduce these historical events to children and if they’re interested, their parents can teach them more about the Russian history of that time.

I’m curious to know whether other history nerds had the same problem enjoying this movie. Or were you able to separate this fictional story from the facts? I suppose it would be fair to call this story an adaptation of a fairy tale. It never happened, but for awhile, some people believed it was possible that Anastasia survived the murder of her family.