Cheap Anastasia (DVD) (Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, Helen Hayes) (Anatole Litvak) Price

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Customer Reviews of Anastasia

Bergman and Brynner!
Yul Brynner plays a former Russian general who is looking for a young woman to impersonate Anastasia, the late Czar's daughter. He hopes to convince the Grand Duchess, the head of the royal family in exile, that she is the true hieress, and collect a large reward. He chooses Anna (Ingrid Bergman), recently released from a mental asylum and ready to commit suicide. He trains her in the royal ways, and they prepare for the important meeting with the Grand Duchess, played by Helen Hayes. Anna becomes fond of a Prince whom Anatasia once knew, but she is even more powerfully drawn to the General.

Ingrid Bergman played the helpless waif character in many films, and does so wonderfully. She is fragile and confused, and only wants to be loved. Helen Hayes is marvelous as the Grand Duchess, who likewise wants love. She is majestic as well as vulnerable, and the scene where she meets "Anastasia" is quite tender and touching. Yul Brynner's macho presence dominates the film, even when he's off-screen: The scene where we hear, but do not see, a drunken Annastasia flirting with a smoldering General is hot, hot, hot. The theme music is haunting and bittersweet, as is the story. Truth or fiction, it doesn't really matter. It's simply outstanding film making.

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Excellent film in all catagories
Whether you believe that one of the Czar's daughter survived the slaughter of the Russian royal family or not, this is a compelling and wonderfully acted film. Based on a Broadway play, this film tells an unforgettable story of a woman rescued from a suicide attempt to be passed off as a Russian princess. Slowly she regains memories of events that could only have happened to the real princess. In order to be accepted as the authentic Anastasia, she must be accepted by her grandmother. The confrontation scene between the Dowager Empress and Anastasia is one of the most wonderful scenes in film history. Ingrid Bergamn and Helen Hayes are superb. Bergman received an Academy Award and Hayes deserved one.

There is not a dull moment in this wonderful film. The whole cast is excellent. Yul Brynner proves that he could do more than just the King of Siam, Martita Hunt as the Empress lady-in-waiting provides wonderful comic moments. The whole cast could not be improved upon.

This is one film that definitely should be put on DVD.

There is one main departure from the Broadway play. In the play Anastasia leaves with the doctor who had treated her in a hospital before Yul Brynner stops her from suicide. This was actually a more satisfying conclusion than having Anastasia go off with Brynner's character, the conman who thought he was passing off a false Anastasia as the real thing. To make this change was simply to make Brynner's character more sympathetic and, I think, works against the film. But, unless the viewer is aware of this change, the film is a wonderful experience and deserves to be in the library of anyone who treasures wonderful performances and great stories.

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Anastasia
Great Movie - Horrible DVD! I'm rating this one star because the DVD quality is so bad. For the first time, I'm in the process of returning an item to Amazon. This makes me sad because I love this film and wanted to add this to my growing collection of classic films in my DVD Library. The sound is not always in synch and the volume goes up and down. The sound is absolutely terrible!