Kirpianuscus not the historical accuracy is its best part. not the coherence of script. because it is only a portrait of a character who remains fascinating for large public. and only important thing is the performance of Christopher Lee who is real admirable. so, a thriller inspired by old recipes of genre. the mad man, puzzle from legends, the Imperial Russian Court and the fight against him . the atmosphere preserves the mark of Cold War. Rasputin becomes, scene by scene, symbol of obscure East who could not be explain but is useful for convincing script.the work of Christopher Lee is the basic element who defines the film . because it is only a thriller like many other from the same years. easy scary, eccentric characters, dramatic stories, version of a kind of literature who use poor effects for impress.

AaronCapenBanner Don Sharp directed this filming of the true historical account of the "Mad Monk" Rasputin(played by Christopher Lee) who lived in early 20th century Czarist Russia, and rose from obscurity to prominence by saving the life of a woman, which comes to the attention of the royal family, who want to use Rasputin's healing powers for their own purposes, which Rasputin is happy to do, as he rises to power and influence since he is really a cunning and ruthless man, quick to take offense, and most adept at swordplay, though will later meet his end by becoming too ambitious and scheming... Christopher Lee is quite good here, putting his imposing voice, stare, and height to fine effect, but the picture itself remains unconvincing and overly melodramatic.

tomgillespie2002 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

Scarecrow-88 Biligerent and boisterous monk, Rasputin, who loves his wine and women, becomes drunk with power when Her Majesty Russia, Tsarina(Renée Asherson) depends on his miraculous healing powers, saving her son from certain death. Barbara Shelley is the Lady in Waiting, Sonia, who helps nanny Tsarina's boy and is under Rasputin's spell, used by him until she is no longer needed..it is she who allows Rasputin to get into Her Majesty's good graces, as he hypnotically forces her to intentionally harm the boy so that he could heal him of his fever. Dr. Zargo(Richard Pasco)is a former physician forbidden to practice medicine, who is "adopted", so to speak, by Rasputin(he was outbeaten by Rasputin in a drinking contest, for which the monk took him under his wing). Zargo witnesses first-hand the horrible treatment of Sonia by Rasputin, merely servicing him as a tool to get better living conditions and favor with Tsarina. There's one tragic scene where Rasputin orders Sonia to kill herself because he wanted her out of his life; the reason being she bored him! This is the kind of Hammer take on history where Rasputin is a villain who destroys everyone that gets in his way or is a waste to him. The only one that matters to Rasputin is Rasputin. Lee is barely recognizable under a long thick beard and scraggly hair, barking commands and dominating those weaker than him in nearly all his time on screen. It's only when Rasputin sets his eyes on Sonia's beautiful friend, Vanessa(Suzan Farmer), that might lead to his downfall, thanks to an orchestrated plan between Dr. Zargo and Vanessa's brother, Ivan(Francis Matthews), hoping to poison the evil monk, ridding the country of such a powerful menace. Sonia's poor brother Peter(Dinsdale Landen), just trying to avenge his sister's forced suicide, gets it in the face with acid. The exciting conclusion has Zargo trying to kill Rasputin over and over, repeatedly failing, needing help from Ivan to ultimately stop this madman. Don Sharp, the director of such underrated films as THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU, WITCHCRAFT, & THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, often shoots Lee from afar, taking great advantage of his grand presence, unlike other established directors who wanted to bare more emphasis on his handsome face and intense eyes. Hammer studios take liberties on the history of Rasputin turning him into a seemingly indestructible, fierce, and always dangerous threat to anyone who dares cross him. Francis Matthews, Shelley, and Farmer all starred with Lee in Dracula--PRINCE OF DARKNESS in the same year.