Watch Rasputin: The Mad Monk For Free

The Worst Film Ever

Sorry, this movie sucks

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This routine Hammer story is definitely not one of the studio's finest - despite a barnstorming performance in the title role from Christopher Lee. The film fails to evoke much period atmosphere or, indeed, excitement, from the authentic historical story of the mad monk who insinuated himself into the Russian royal family. If you've seen Dracula - PRINCE OF DARKNESS, then some of the sets will be immediately recognisable as they were used in both films to reduce costs. Unfortunately as the entire film is set-bound, this lacks the visual beauty of the lush English countryside and woodland which Hammer exploited in their more fantasy-based films.Another disappointment is that the film plays like a historical drama with only a few explicit horror elements seemingly thrown in to make it more controversial. And the film's opening, which shows Rasputin trying to rape a peasant girl and cutting an attacker's hand off, promises so much more which is sadly not fulfilled. After this we settle into melodrama and court intrigue and things only pick up and become exciting towards the climax, where an enemy has acid thrown in his face and Rasputin dies a long, protracted death scene.I also felt that the acting was a bit sub-par this time around, apart from Lee, that is. Lee is wonderful here in his over the top role, playing the wild, rolling-eyed psychopath to the hilt, and he obviously enjoys the break from playing his usual aloof, uncommunicative roles. Physically he looks excellent to with his long greasy hair, bushy beard and bright red silk robes. It's a villainous role that Lee really gets his teeth into and makes his own. Barbara Shelley also appears in what I felt to be an acutely embarrassing performance; for most of the film she's either drunk, being hypnotised, or being humiliated.As for the supporting cast, I did enjoy Richard Pasco's turn as a snivelling sidekick who turns the tables on his oppressor in the final reel, but Francis Matthews gives a lazy performance and seems disinclined to actually act except where is necessary. The problem with the film is that it doesn't really go anywhere - too little is dwelt upon, and much of the action that takes place is trivial. I would have liked to have seen more of Rasputin and the explanations behind his healing abilities - here he's a stock, two-dimensional villain. This film could have been a lot more interesting with an epic, fully-fleshed feel to it, bringing out all the nuances in his character, but it's a simple tale of his rise and fall which never breaks any new boundaries nor tells us anything we don't know. Horror fans will enjoy the beginning and end, but the middle of this film is bound to disappoint everybody.

It's an Odd One to be Sure and Falling Somewhere in the Mid-Range of Hammer Studio's Output of Always Interesting Films is this Christopher Lee Vehicle that Utilizes the Tall Actor with the Distinctive Voice Quite Effectively.Efficiency, for the Studio, was the Word as the Sixties Unfolded and Hammer Seemed to get a Bit Lazy and Detached from Their Art and the Movies Sunk Somewhat in Charm, Style, and Charisma.However, if it's a Hammer Film, it's Worth a Watch. This One is Average for the Studio, but Above Average Overall. Elevated by Lee's Bombastic, Yet Internalized Performance. Sure its Flamboyant and Fictionalized, but the Actor does Maintain a Suffering Soul, just Below the Surface. There is Pain in there Somewhere, but it is Overwhelmed and Corrupted by the Hedonism.The Movie can Look Cheap at Times, for a Hammer, that Usually could Mask Low Production Values and Present the Movies with a Rich Look that made the Lack of Money Moot. But, these Sixties Hammers, with Some Exceptions, were Claustrophobic with Minimal and Confined Sets and Virtually No Outdoor Shoots.Overall, it is an Entertaining Movie with Some Brutal Moments and a Killer Ending. Historically Inaccurate by All Accounts, but this is Pulpy Fiction and Although Not the Best in the Hammer Filmography, it has Enough of an Edge, Thanks to Lee and the Studio Delivering Just Enough Sex and Violence to Make it a Guilty Pleasure.

This depiction of Rasputin's life owes only slightly more to history than "Dracula A.D. 1972" owes to the Bram Stoker novel. However, it's enormous fun from start to finish! The liberties that it takes with history were likely influenced at least in part by the fact that Prince Felix Yusupov, Rasputin's self-admitted assassin, was still alive in 1966 - he died the next year - and was well known for being the plaintiff in "Yusupov v. MGM", in which he successfully sued the studio for invasion of privacy and libel as regards their 1932 film "Rasputin and the Empress". Yusupov's role is taken by Ivan, played by Francis Matthews, who sadly died recently. As in "The Revenge of Frankenstein" and "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" (which was filmed back-to-back with this film on many of the same sets), he delivers a wonderful, charismatic performance. He would have made a great James Bond. The film has a very strong supporting cast overall, including Barbara Shelley, Suzan Farmer, Richard Pasco, Dinsdale Landen, Renée Anderson, Derek Francis and Joss Ackland. Both Shelley and Farmer also appeared in "Dracula: Prince of Darkness". I thought that it was quite funny that the latter played Francis Matthews' wife in that film and his sister in this one! Her character is this film, Vanessa, is basically a stand-in for Yusupov's wife Princess Irina (who was also still alive at the time as she died in 1970).The film more or less ignores the political developments in Russia in the dying days of the Tsars in favour of focussing on Rasputin's rise to prominence within the imperial court. While the Tsarina has a supporting role and Alexei appears briefly, Tsar Nicholas II is neither seen nor mentioned, perhaps uniquely for a film about Rasputin. Christopher Lee, who met Yusupov as a child in the 1920s, clearly relishes the role of Rasputin. Even discounting the myths, suppositions, lies and exaggeration which have grown up around him over the last century, he was still a larger than life figure and Lee plays him as such. In stark contrast to the "Dracula" films, Lee appears in almost every scene and has by far the most screen time and dialogue while Ivan, the hero of the piece, has comparatively little screen time. He is brilliant and intense as Rasputin, who makes for a very compelling character. Rasputin is very different from Dracula in terms of his loud, boorish behaviour but parts of his modus operandi are the same as he successfully gains control of several women using hypnosis. While for the first hour of the film could be described as a pseudo-historical thriller, it becomes a full blown horror film in the last half an hour when Rasputin hypnotises Sonia, played wonderfully by Barbara Shelley, into committing suicide and then torments her brother Peter from the darkness before throwing acid in his face, severely disfiguring and ultimately killing him. The depiction of Rasputin's death (again, quite scary) is loosely based on Yusupov's description thereof, given that he survives ingesting poisoned food and drink before being killed outright, but the precise circumstances are altered. In any event, some historians believe that Yusupov may have been less than honest in his description.If you're looking for an accurate depiction of Rasputin and his role in the Russian imperial court, this isn't the film for you. However, if you're looking an extremely fun and occasionally extremely scary pseudo-historical Gothic horror film with a wonderful performance from Christopher Lee, then this should be right up your alley.

For a keen horror fan, I have seen precious little of the Hammer horror universe. You can imagine my delight when I was gifted the Hammer DVD Collection for Christmas which consists of 21 films from the vault of the great British institution. I felt spoiled for choice. When opening the box I was greeted by the mad eyes of Christopher Lee, gazing out from amongst a gigantic beard and El Topo-esque haircut. I felt obliged to choose this as my introduction to what will no doubt become a fixation with Hammer, and the film I will remember years into the future when I'm no doubt walking the Earth, trying to find all the tiny forgotten films Hammer produced before they became famous.For those of you who don't know, Grigori Rasputin was a real-life Russian mystic/hypnotist/con-artist who had a heavy influence on the Tsarist government of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, after apparently healing their son Alexei as he lay dying from haemophilia. The film is less concerned with the politics of the time, and instead focuses on Rasputin's love for drinking, women, and generally being a bit of a bastard, as he hypnotises and heals his way through society and into the bed of lady-in-waiting Sonia (Barbara Shelley).The film wastes no time introducing Rasputin's maverick attitudes to monkhood, as he heals a saloon owner's wife on her death bed so he can get served a drink, and proceeds to sing and drink the night way before hacking a man's hand off in a fight. Fleeing to Moscow after being hauled in front of the bishop for his unorthodox ways, he gains influence over a disgraced doctor and begins to plan his rise to power.The film's main strength is undoubtedly Lee's performance as the mad Russian, as he dominates every scene with his intense, piercing eyes and booming voice, with his towering frame overshadowing everyone that comes across his path. The scene in which he does a celebratory dance after beating a challenger in a drinking contest only to mistake some onlookers for laughing at him is both weird and intimidating as he demands an apology. It is a great mix of thespian presence and Gothic camp that makes the Hammer films, and more notably Christopher Lee's performances for the studio, that extra bit special.Rasputin The Mad Monk is a thoroughly enjoyable film, anchored by Lee's performance and Hammer's usual beautiful Technicolour cinematography, and is made all the better by leaving out the politics and concentrating on creating a memorable film character.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com