THE TSAR
Russia, 2009, 116 minutes, Colour.
Pyotr Mamanov, Oleg Yankovsky.
Directed by Pavel Lungen.
In the middle of this film, some of the Tsar's soldiers are put in an arena to fight an enormous bear. The bear is filmed towering above the men (and the audience), a spectacular, vast, powerhouse of energy with the potential to overwhelm all who stand in its way (and it does). It is an apt metaphor for this huge Russian powerhouse of a film, one that overwhelms its audience.
The Tsar in question is Ivan the Terrible (already the subject of Eisenstein's classics). It is the middle of the 16th century, that terrible century for religious upheaval and persecution, Catholics and the Reformed, in Western Europe and in massacres in the New World. It seems from The Tsar to have been even more horrific in Russia and for victims in the Orthodox Church.
The plot of this film is reminiscent of the story of Henry II of England and Thomas a'Beckett. Here, Ivan has been dominating Russia and fighting the Poles with the help of his ruthless special army. The Metropolitan Bishop flees for his life. Ivan appoints Felipp, a monk who was a childhood friend, as his successor and expected puppet cleric.
The film is divided into chapters, opening with the Tsar's prayer, an apocalyptic reading of the Book of Revelation and the last times. It continues into the Tsar's sacrifice and an alarming section where the Tsar inspects a fairground of inventions of torture. Felipp is welcomed as Metropolitan but has to stand by and witness Ivan's atrocities and blood lust (with more than a mad glint in the Tsar's eye), including the arena and the murderous bear. Felipp has to take a stand and, like Becket, he will be persecuted and killed.
The film, widescreen, is huge, colourful, spectacular, full of religious imagery, sequences which are iconic, drawing on the art traditions of Orthodoxy and the Russian masters. The score is forceful-orchestral. These are horrible, legendary times and this is communicated over almost two hours.
In that sense, the film is not for the fainthearted – and yet, it communicates this phase of history, the violent use of power and the challenge of religion better than any history lecture.
1.The impact of the film: visual, sound, performances, themes?
2.The immense widescreen colour spectacle, action, contemplation?
3.The religious imagery, icons and paintings, churches and monasteries? The images of Mary? The crucifix? In the 16th century context? The verbal religious imagery, the Book of Revelation, Psalm 91? The prayers? The images and prayers of the martyrs and saints?
4.The chapters, prayer, war, sacrifice, fairground? Perspectives on Ivan the Terrible?
5.The introduction and the information about the 16th century, Ivan becoming tsar of all the Russians, his wars, Poland, Islam, his cruelty, his special team of troops, the severed heads of dogs?
6.Ivan, the performance, his appearance, praying the Book of Revelation, the end times? The ritual of his being clothed, going to the people? His entourage? Riding into battle, the fights? His clash with the church, the flight of the Metropolitan? His decision about Philip? Called terrible, cruel?
7.The village, the attack, taking away the lord, the cage, the little girl, her running away? Her being with Philip? Ivan’s interest in her, taking her to the court, fostering her – and letting her die in the arena because of the bear?
8.Philip as a monk, travelling, his nephew and his being an official, an old school friend of Ivan? His choice for the Metropolitan? His declining, the pressure, acceptance, the ceremonial? Vesting? His presentation to the people and their receiving him?
9.Philip and his duties as Metropolitan? His stance on the religious wars? Expected to bless Ivan and the troops? The fight against the Poles? His reaction to the atrocities? The entourage, the mad fool and his apocalyptic language? The chiefs, their torture, being killed by Ivan, put into the arena with the bears? The little girl and her running down, her death? His walking into the arena with the icon of Mary? The confrontation with the bear? His being condemned, Ivan’s reaction, the false charges, magic, treason? His nephew tortured on the rack? His death? Philip and the humiliation? Ivan sparing his life, confining him to the monastery, chained? The drink out of his reach? Mary, the icon, his prayer? The chains coming loose, the miracle, restoring sight to the monk?
10.The visualising of the wars, the Poles, the battle at the bridge?
11.Ivan, his life, intensity, his wife and her frivolity, his reaction to treason, the cruelty of the bears in the arena?
12.His treatment of Philip, condemnation?
13.The atrocities of the fairground, the German inventor, the mad fool illustrating the aspects of torture? The devices for torture?
14.His confessing to Philip, Philip refusing to give him absolution? Leaving his assistant to condemn Philip after the kiss? The assistant and his plea for a miracle for his son? The murder of Philip? The monks and their decision to stay, the stance of the superior, burying Philip, defying the assistant, being burnt in the church?
15.The mad fool, his burning, Ivan sending his wife to a convent?
16.Finally alone, asking where his people were? No-one coming?
17.Image and symbols for the history of Russia? For the period, later? Power, absolute power, abuse, violence, bloodlust? The role of church, religion, the orthodox?
