| Boris Godunov | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Sergei Bondarchuk |
| Written by | Sergei Bondarchuk Alexander Pushkin |
| Starring | Sergei Bondarchuk Alyona Bondarchuk |
| Cinematography | Vadim Yusov |
| Edited by | Lyudmila Sviridenko |
| Music by | Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Mosfilm |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 141 minutes |
| Countries | Soviet Union Poland Czechoslovakia West Germany |
| Languages | Russian French |
Boris Godunov (Russian:Борис Годунов) is a 1986 historicaldrama film directed by and starringSergei Bondarchuk. An adaptation ofAlexander Pushkin's 1825 playof the same name, the film is aninternational co-production by the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and West Germany. It was entered into the1986 Cannes Film Festival.[1]
The action takes place in Russia and Poland as the 16th century ends and the 17th century begins. The reign ofBoris Godunov is depicted, his sonFeodor, and the coming to power ofFalse Dmitry I. After the death of the feeble-mindedTsar Fedor Ivanovich, son ofIvan the Terrible, Boris Godunov takes the throne, by the decision of theZemsky Sobor, with the help of intrigues, alliances and the arrangement of his sisterIrina's marriage to Tsarevich Feodor, gains great influence and power in the court.
But suddenly there is a new contender for the throne – a man posing as Dmitri, the younger son of Ivan the Terrible, who officially died in Uglich in 1591. The pretender shows up in Poland and after he receives the support of Prince Vishnevetzky,SandomierzvoivodeMniszech and his daughter, the beautifulMarina, returns to Russia. Despite the fact that the church andVasily Shuiski, who investigated the circumstances of the death of Dmitry, deny the authenticity of the prince, he on his way to Moscow. He is becoming increasingly popular among the people and is setting up to be a real threat to Tsar Boris. Who is he really – a daring adventurer, a true prince, or a ghost who has materialized to avenge a long-forgotten crime?