CATHERINE THE GREAT

US, 1934, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, Elisabeth Bergner, Flora Robson, Gerald du Maurier, Irene Vanbrugh.
Directed by Paul Czinner.

Catherine the Great was also called The Rise of Catherine the Great. It is a biography of the famous empress up to the time she ascended the throne of Russia. She began life as a German princess and was to be married to the Grand Duke Peter (here played by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr). Catherine is played by Elisabeth Bergner who worked as an actress in Austria moving to England and then to Hollywood after leaving Germany because she and her husband, the director Paul Czinner, were Jewish. She did some work in Hollywood but later returned to England (appearing in the horror film Cry of the Banshee in 1970) but working in German language film, theatre and television. Flora Robson appears as the Empress Elizabeth of Russia.

Catherine the Great represents the ascendancy of Russian empire in the 18th century. She was portrayed in a 1935 film by Marlene Dietrich with much more force, The Scarlet Empress, directed by Josef von Sternberg. There was an attempt to make a Russian version of Catherine the Great in the Soviet Union in 1940 with celebrated German actress Zahra Leander but it was not finished. There was a 1960s film with Jeanne Moreau as Catherine, Great Catherine.

There was a television version of the story of Catherine the Great in 1995, a two-part miniseries telemovie with Catherine Zeta-Jones? in the central role – before she became famous.

1. An interesting historical film? A big budget lavish feature of the early thirties? Impact then, now?

2. The interest in Catherine the Great in films of the thirties? Later? The cinema treatment of history, romance? Audience interest in seeing the re-creation of a period: the visuals, characters, historical and human themes?

3. The background of 18th. century marriages and politics? The effect of these on countries, treaties, personalities? The impersonal nature of the marriages? Themes of power, cruelty, love and lust? As background for the reign of Catherine the Great?

4. The film's highlighting of Peter and focusing on him? Douglas Fairbanks and his personality and style? His role in the kingdom under his aunt? Melancholy, the opening scene at the lodge with its artificial merriment, his returning to the lodge and withdrawing? A man of erratic moods, a kind of madness? His refusing to marry Catherine and the ironic meeting her accidentally? His love but yet his suspicions? His being easily influenced by advisers and misunderstanding people? His rudeness on the first night, the separation? The Countess Elizabeth? His attraction to Catherine and yet his fear and dislike of her? The re-meeting and the telling of the truth after the stories of the lovers? The importance of the Empress' death and its effect on him? The power-madness as compensation, his tyranny? The insupportable state of rule In Russia? His rest and his shock? His realization that Catherine had taken over and his ironic final comment about her? The information about his death? How interesting a historical portrait of a Russian ruler?

5. The 18th century marriages and Catherine’s background in Prussia, her mother, the changing of names? Her being forced? Her reaction to being unwanted?

6. The Empress Elizabeth and her toughness, her rule in Russia, devotion to work, being called a whore? Catherine and her relating to Elizabeth and learning from her? Peter and his reaction to his aunt? Her attitude towards his madness and her treatment of it The need for a wife and heir? The importance of her presence at the dancing and dancing to death?

7. Catherine and her reaction to neglect? Peter and the contrast and living with the Countess? The device of the story of the affairs and the mutual reaction? How much truth in this, how much was the screenplay a whitewashing of facts? Indication of Catherine's future behaviour?

8. The loyalty of the soldiers and the military to Catherine? Their helping her in her takeover?

9. The manner of the takeover - was it credible on Catherine's part? The counterpoint to Peter's decline and arrest? Her happiness that she was loved and that she would become Empress? Her reception by her attendants, the news of Peter's death and her reaction? Her final quoting of Peter's word about her?

10. The ambiguity of politics in the 18th century, ambitions, personalities changing because of circumstances and pressures? The artificial relationships? The expectations of monarchs in the 18th. century? The film as a thirties interpretation of this? Audience response now to the atmosphere of the thirties in treating historical films this way? The quality of Elizabeth Bergner's performance as Catherine - as a credible princess, as the future Empress of Russia?