Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot
Russian czar Ivan Grozny's life was made into a three-part epic film by Soviet film-maker Sergei Eisenstein at Stalin's request. Filmmaking on Eisenstein's epic was halted before the third and final installment could be completed due to producer unhappiness with Eisenstein's use of forbidden experimental filming techniques. Because of this, the second section of the film was not allowed to be screened until after the deaths of Eisenstein and Stalin, and until the Soviet government's following leaders changed their minds about it. By creating a personal army, Ivan the Terrible strives to solidify his rule, while Russian boyar political opponents plot to kill him in this section.
Released: 1958-09-01