Fall of Eagles
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Movie Reviews of Fall of Eagles
Movie Review: A forgotten gem
Summary: 5 Stars
They don't make television programs like this anymore!
...If they did, it might just raise the collective I.Q. of the television-viewing public!
Here we have the intertwined stories of three ancient royal families, at a time when monarchists still wielded actual political power. The series begins with the Hapsburgs of Austria-Hungary, in the mid-nineteenth century, and ends with the collapse of the Romanovs of Russia and the Hohenzollerns in Germany.
This program, dating from the early 1970s, ...far exceeds more than three decades of largely vapid television in the quality of its story-telling! The only television mini-series which compares to this in quality, is "Peter the Great" from the mid 1980s.
If you are a reader of history, I am certain you will appreciate this visual interpretation of the fateful events. If you are unfamiliar with the written history, this may just be the introduction to inspire you to read deeper into narratives of the notorious royal personalities whose inept rule resulted in our present age. This exceptional television program covers an approximate 60 year time period, ending with the Russian Revolution.
-See how the dysfunctional lives and rivalries of the various intertwined royal families culminated in the bloody and slaughterous wars and revolutions that set Europe ablaze.
-See how family tragedies and scandals of the house of Hapsburg ultimately ended an empire.
-See the rise of the house of Hohenzollern preside over the unification of the German state under Chancelor Otto Von Bismark, ...and the downfall of Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II.
-Czar Nicholas: The last czar, ...who never wanted to be a czar. His incompetant and indecisive rule ultimately led to the brutal murder of his entire family at the hands of cowardly communists.
-See a young Patrick Stewart in the role of Vladimir Ulyanov, ...who would later call himself Lenin. Not only does Stewart make a truly convincing and memorable portrayal of Lenin, ...his political beliefs are similar!
Movie Review: One of the BBC's All-Time Best
Summary: 5 Stars
In the late 1970s the local PBS station showed this 1974 BBC production, often showing 2 or 3 episodes during subscription drives. When I saw it was out on DVD several years ago, I immediately purchased a copy.
The mini-series begins in 1848 when young Franz Joseph becomes Emperor of Austria and ends in early 1919 when Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany finds sanctuary in the Netherlands. In the 71 years (and 13 DVD hours) between those events Royalty marries (often to the consternation of the older generation), Prussia becomes Germany, Hapsburg Crown Princes die violently, the future Jean Luc Picard spreads revolutionary ideas, the Russian Empire narrowly misses teetering off the edge only to leap off a few episodes later, and there's that whole business about World War I.
The performances are uniformly good, with most royalty suitably petty, full of themselves, and posses absolute confidence in the Divine Right of Kings. Overall the history is quite good, not perfect, but no really glaring inaccuracies (Pyotr Rachkofsky (whom the mini-series calls Theodore Ratchkovsky) probably wasn't as vital in 1906 as suggested--but as one of history's great 'evil geniuses' it was interesting to see him) . The attention to detail in the costumes and sets is superb. However this is a 1974 production so don't expect much in special effects or battle scenes.
It is the interaction between characters that makes this mini-series so great. When the long put-on-the-shelf Empress Dowager tells the just-fired Bismark "We dig our own graves, you know.", you feel both the sadness of two people who life has cast aside, as well as the jab Vickie is taking at her old nemesis.
Barry Foster's performance as Wilhelm II deserves special mention. Foster captures all of the Kaiser's complexities perfectly. Wilhelm is arrogant, tactless, a loving husband, and overall a competent leader. His last line at the end of the final episode is a perfect ending.
Movie Review: A warning to the non-english natives
Summary: 5 Stars
Many persons write and ask if this DVD has subtitles, closed captions or has Spanish dubbing. I am writing to inform every buyer the following things that I have learned after I bought this DVD
1-This series has NO SUBTITLES NOR IS CLOSED-CAPTIONED.
2-The spoken language is ENGLISH and no one else.
3-The actors, as everyone is aware are ALL BRITISH, so the english spoken is the BRITISH ENGLISH, very pleasant to the ear of the persons who are habituated to it, but not for everyone.
4-Many times I had to rewind and hear again what the actors were saying because the plot is so full of subtleties that if you lose a phrase or even a word you may not understand what is happening.
5-Pay attention to the names and if you are interested, anote them. They are German, Russian, French and other different names that you may not recognized at once. A tip: In the end of each episode, the names are displayed with the name of the actor that played the role. The nicknames also are hard to get: Nicky is Nicholas, the Tzar, Willy is Willhem II, the Kaiser, Vicky is the mother of the Kaiser, Alex is the Tzarina, and so on. Pay attention because they are all cousins and they call each other by their nicknames!
Well, these are the drawbacks. If you love a really good series about the 19th century that is one of the best I have ever seen. Even seeing the same episode (there are 13!) twice to understand the plot, I have enjoyed immensely the series. Patrick Stewart as Lenin is unforgettable. The other names of the cast are unknown but magnificent! I would say: Buy this series. Be patient. Hear carefully and rewind if necessary. It is worthwhile. But BBC COULD release this masterpiece at least with closed captions as they did with Henry the Eight and Elizabeth R, other superb series that EVERYONE SHOULD SEE.
Deniza Futuro-Brazil
Movie Review: "Fall of Eagles (1974) ... European History ... Koch Vision (5/10/2006)"
Summary: 5 Stars
Koch Vision and BBC Productions present "FALL OF EAGLES" (1974) (710 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Devised by John Elliot (creator of A for Andromeda, Mogul-The Troubleshooters), this wonderful BBC mini-series of 50 minutes over 13 parts is powerful, the drama focuses on the Hapsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Romanovs of Russia, and the Hohenzollerns of Germany ... all three families ruled Europe between the mid-19th century and the end of the First World War. The series focuses on the tempestuous reigns of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany ... but none of them prevailed... outstanding production and incredible cast, which reads like a Who`s Who of Britain`s finest actors, brings the historical figures richly to life ... pure enjoyment in watching these episodes bring history into such an entertaining and thought provoking state of mind ... the attention to detail, costumes, sets and script is unbelievable ... anyone who is a lover of history, especially royal european history don't pass this one up.
Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Fall of Eagles" (1974) BBC - John Elliot, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em
Total Time: 710 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6356 ~ (5/02/2006)
Movie Review: History comes alive
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a history student, or just a history buff, you absolutely MUST watch this. This excellent docudrama series tells the story of the end of absolute monarchy in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. It focuses on the ruling families of Austro-Hungary, Germany, and Russia, and how they ultimately lost power during the First World War. But it doesn't just focus on the final days of these empires: The story actually starts in the 1850s, and provides a rich and intimate portrait of these three families as they try to maintain absolute rule over their respective empires in the face of opposition from rising liberal and radical forces. This is not the sort of dry chronicle of names, dates, battles, etc. that you typically find in history books and historical documentaries. This is a brilliantly acted dramatic presentation that leaves you with the feeling that you are personally acquainted with each of the historical figures portrayed in this 13-part series -- Emperor Franz Josef, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, Rasputin, Lenin, Trotsky, Bismarck, and many others. I've studied the history of the events covered in this docudrama; but, after watching this, I feel almost as if I were actually there when these things happened. I now feel that I really know who these people were, how they lived, what they did, and what drove them. (And, from now on, whenever I think of Vladimir Lenin, I will picture Patrick Stewart, whose portrayal was masterful.) Do yourself a favor and watch this series. You'll be glad you did.