The Last Czars Review
Many will know the history of the Romanovs either because they are part of world history or because they grew up watching that beautifully animated film that told the story of Princess Anastasia, who for years was believed to be alive. The truth is that the history of the Romanov dynasty is quite tragic and although it has its romantic passages, let's not forget that the Russian the imperial family ended up being killed without the possibility of a fair trial. Netflix has not been able to avoid wanting to get the most out of the famous life of this family and has recently released a documentary series, The Last Czars, where they narrate the last days of the imperial family. The Romanov the dynasty ruled Russia from the seventeenth century until in 1894 he ascended to the throne Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia
This czar was criticized for not knowing how to govern, for not being aware of state affairs, for not knowing how to react on time and not taking appropriate measures. Nicholas II was described as a man of a kinder character and passionate about his family. He married Princess Alejandra, one of the many granddaughters of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and they had five children: the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Zarévich Alekséi.
The history of the family was very marked by the bad decisions of the Tsar. In the first place, he decided to present his future wife to the people just after burying the previous Tsar, something that drew attention to a very superstitious society. When he assumed the throne, during the celebration of the town, a terrible stampede occurred where 200 people died due to lack of security. Another marked day was Red Sunday when 120,000 workers demonstrated before the Palace of Investor and imperial soldiers proceeded to assassinate a large number. And not to mention their participation in World War II, which only left them a large balance of victims and expenses.
But if there is an episode that drove the Romanovs away from their people, it was the obsession of the imperial family for the enigmatic Rasputin, who had a great influence on the empress? This issue is even pointed out as the drop that spilled the glass and caused that during the October Revolution of 1917, the tsars ended up being dethroned by the Bolsheviks.
All these events that marked the history of an entire nation are narrated in Netflix's Last Czars. There are six chapters of about 45 minutes long that not only shows us acted passages of what happened but also gathers the testimonies of historians about the time.
The Last Czars Of Russia
In addition to showing the rise to power of Tsar Nicholas II, his
characteristic kindness when facing the problems that put at risk the stability
of his country or his participation in World War II, 'The Last Czars' explores the Romanov family relationship, especially Empress Alejandra, with the
enigmatic Rasputin. In fact, some historians point to him as the top litigator
of the October Revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks definitely dethroned the
tsars.
As we have said before, the events that are seen in the series are
also commented on as a documentary by specialized historians at that time in
question, which provides a much more subjective and profound vision of what
happened. A formula that has conquered both the public and international critics,
but that has "outraged" journalists and local experts for the alleged
factual errors that it also includes. Far from all controversy, one thing is
clear: 'The last tsars' is on its way to becoming one of the star series of the
season.
Many criticize the production, which tells the story of Tsar Nicholas
II and Rasputin, for his emphasis on sex scenes and for his historical
inaccuracies, such as showing Lenin's mausoleum while he was still alive.
The life of Tsar Nicholas II has always generated fascination. The
last czar of Russia, a man trapped by bad decisions and a crumbling empire,
opened the way to communism with his incompetence and ended centuries of real
history, which had begun with Ivan the terrible, back in 1533.
That is why he has always been surrounded by myths that are already
part of popular culture, such as his wife's infidelity with the mystic Grigori
Rasputin, the latter's influence on government decisions, Prince Alexei's
illness (his heir) or the alleged disappearance of his daughter Anastasia.
That is why Netflix, in an effort to get closer to its audiences, decided to
bet on a series that focused on its historical period: The Last Czars, which
since this month is available on the platform.
In an innovative style, which mixes fiction with documentary, the series
alternates the history of the Tsar, his family, and the monk Rasputin, with the
opinions of experts and historians about that period. Historical errors and
lots of sex But despite that effort to give academic weight to history, in
Russia is quite upset and believes that the series is full of historical
errors. "What is wrong with The Last Czars of Netflix ?: Everything,"
wrote, for example, the news site Fontanka in St. Petersburg.
And the show has several mistakes. From the basics, how to show the Red Square
with Lenin's mausoleum in 1905, when he had not even come to power and was
still planning the revolution, to show the walls of the red Kremlin when they
were painted white at that time. Add to that several mistakes in the costumes
and in the chronology of events. Synthetic garments, fake fur, and cheap
jewelry appear, for example, as well as the image of an Armenian monastery
instead of the monastery in the Urals that Rasputin used to visit. "After
these matters, it is very difficult to take it seriously," says a review
of the Russian newspaper Argumenty I Fakty.
Another thing that bothers the Russians is the excess of sex scenes of the royal couple, which shows the tsar as a man with little capacity for sex.
On the wedding night, for example, you can see Tsarina Alexandra with her breasts
in the air, telling Nicholas II: “You have to be strong! You are the Tsar, the
master of the country! ”
Journalist Fyodor Krasheninnikov criticized another "disgusting
scene" on Facebook when Czarina prays loudly begging for her son while
making love. "The series will only please people who want to see the
tsarina naked," says Argumenty I Fakty.
A big disappointment
In Russia, many have taken the series as a big disappointment, as they
expected more from Netflix, taking into account the success of Chernobyl, HBO,
which was very well received for its historical accuracy and for its precision
in showing life in the Union Soviet during the years of tragedy.
Critics also highlight the cheap production, when it comes to a very
rich dynasty that spent huge sums on luxurious and pompous acts and ceremonies
and ornaments such as Fabergé eggs.
The Last Czars Netflix cast
The interest of Netflix and its users in historical series based on
real event is a fact. After producing or including in its catalog titles such
as the multi-award-winning 'The Crown', 'Marco Polo', 'Vikings', 'Los Tudor' or
the Spanish 'Carlos Rey Emperador', the streaming platform has just released
one of the miniseries most interesting and ambitious of the season: 'The Last
Czars', which, as its name suggests, explores the end of the Romanov dynasty
and the cruel murder of its members.
The series, which consists only of six episodes of less than one hour in
duration masterfully rides between fiction and the documentary genre, offering
users of the technological giant a new vision of this historical drama that
continues to raise blisters and generate some spectacle between those who
already know the details of the terrible event.
Thus, 'The Last Czars' moves the viewer at the beginning of the 20th
century, when Tsar Nicholas II faced the germ of a revolution that would
eventually end his entire family, composed of his wife, the Empress of Russia
Alejandra Fiódorovna Románova, and his five children: Olga, Tatiana, MarÃa,
Anastasia and Alexei. All this away from the speculations and legends that have
also accompanied history during all these years.
On July 3, Netflix released the series "Last Czars" about
the Romanov dynasty. As was clear from the trailer, the creators set themselves
an ambitious task - to make an almost documentary chronicle of the events of
the last two decades of the monarchy in Russia.
Art scenes in The Last Kings are interspersed with interviews of
experts and historians who explain to the viewer what is happening on the
screen. Actress Suzanne Herbert, playing the role of Empress Alexandra
Fedorovna in the series said in an interview that “this is a completely new
kind of storytelling, the main advantage of this exciting and beautifully set
story in the comments of world-class historians who explain the backstage
details.” Drama occupies 80% of the time, and the remaining 20% is a documentary.
The series was produced by Nootopia, which used to make a documentary
series for History, CNN and National Geographic, including Humanity: The Story
of All of Us, America: The History of the United States, and The Search for
Jesus: Faith, Facts, Fakes.
All these factors and Chernobyl, which was still released at the
beginning of June and amazed all the audience with attention to details and
historical truth, raised the bar of expectations from The Last Kings very high.
And, as it turned out, the show could not stay on it almost immediately.
Immediately after the premiere, the audience drew attention to gross
blunders. To begin with, a mausoleum was spotted on Red Square in Moscow! The
action in the series, recall, takes place in the early 1900s.
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