Product Details

• Actors: Amy Irving, Olivia de Havilland, Jan Niklas, Nicolas Surovy, Susan Lucci
• Directors: Marvin J. Chomsky
• Writers: James Goldman, Peter Kurth
• Producers: Marvin J. Chomsky, Graham Cottle, Kenneth Kaufman, Michael Lepiner
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Cabin Fever
• VHS Release Date: August 31, 1995
• Run Time: 200 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302365805
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,116 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The story of the woman who insisted she was Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last czar of Russia, is complicated. This 1986 telefilm makes it even more so because it's one of those "fact-based" dramas. Its most annoying invention is Anastasia's romance with a prince who never actually existed. Fiction aside, the first two-thirds of the 210-minute movie are dramatic and captivating. The Romanov family is imprisoned and executed, yet Anastasia reappears years later in Berlin in 1923; Amy Irving becomes the iron-willed yet fragile Anna who battles to be recognized by the remaining Romanovs. Gently paced and beautifully shot and staged, the film only starts to lose steam when Anna comes to New York to make her case in the American press. It takes a bunch of Americans, including Susan Lucci as a stateside Romanov relative, to make the tale seem common. Back in London, Olivia de Havilland is a treasure as the dowager empress who won't recognize Anastasia, although there is much evidence in her favor. The film is a great introduction to the mystery, despite its fiction-augmented recounting of history. After watching the movie, get the book it was largely based on, Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth, for a gripping read that just might make you believe in this princess. --Valerie J. Nelson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of the Twentieth Century's Great Puzzles, February 1, 2002

By 

James L. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Amy Irving stars as Anna, a woman claiming to be the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, a claim which would mean that she had survived the execution of the Royal Family. She seems to know things about the Royal Family that only Anastasia could know, yet she has huge gaps in her memory and is unable/unwilling to speak Russian. Things are complicated by the fact that other women have claimed to be Anastasia in the past, and the Royal Family has grown tired of the pretenders to the throne. However, Anna has her supporters, although she knows the must win the support of her grandmother, the empress, if she is to have any hope of being officially recognized. Irving has a few good moments as Anna/Anastasia, but she doesn't project the strength that so many of the characters tell her character that she has. The supporting cast is competent, although few are given much in the way of characters to flesh out. The real bright spot in the film is Olivia de Havilland as the Empress. She infuses her character with humour and wisdom, and steals her far too few scenes. There is a narrator that appears irregularly throughout the film, and that device should have been eliminated. The direction lacks pacing, the script could be stronger, and the ending is rather flat. Despite the fictious romance and other weaknesses, I did find the film interesting, since the mystery surrounding Anna Anderson was one of the great puzzles of the Twentieth Century. People argued for and against her with equal passion. Since the film was completed, scientists appear to have proven that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia, but it would be interesting to think that maybe someone could have survived that brutal moment in history. I do wish they had made a more fact based, tighter film about it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining, gripping drama, June 20, 2000

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna (DVD)

ANASTASIA: THE MYSTERY OF ANNA features a tour-de-force performance by Amy Irving in the lead role, plus an excellent, star-studded supporting cast.

The miniseries is based on Peter Kurth's lengthy "Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson", still the most authoritive book on the woman who tried to claim the title of the murdered Duchess Anastasia.

We follow the young woman, Anna Anderson, as she tries to kill herself by falling into a Berlin canal, then through the various madhouses as she slowly but surely reveals her true identity as Empress Anastasia, daughter of the Czar, thought killed along with the rest of the imperial family.

Anna's plight to claim the title of Empress is marred by the efforts of the surviving Romanoffs, who all have their own motives in trying to keep the vast Romanoff fortune for themselves. Anna's best hope of gaining acceptance is visting the Dowager Empress (Olivia de Havilland). Anna also gains a valuable ally in Prince Erich (Jan Niklas) whom she later falls in love with.

This adaptation swaps a lot of the truth in favour of fairytale romance. There was no sweeping love story between Anna and Erich, and the film covers up a lot of the activities Anna got involved in which did nothing to help her plight (such as running around naked on the top of a New York hotel). Ultimately, despite the fact that Duchess Anastasia's death could never be fully-determined, Anna was proven to be a fraud when DNA samples of Romanoff ancestors were compared with tissue samples of Anderson.

However, this miniseries is highly-entertaining, especially the performance of Amy Irving, who invests a lot of feisty attitude and drama to the proceedings. Olivia de Havilland is likewise very memorable as the wry and whimsical Dowager Empress.

The amazing supporting cast includes Rex Harrison, Claire Bloom, Omar Sharif, Elke Sommer, Edward Fox, Susan Lucci, and Nicolas Surovy.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anastasia, the Mystery of Anna....Superb!, January 31, 2002

By 

Mr. Owen G. Emmerson "GayMessiah" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna [VHS] (VHS Tape)

From the beginning, this story compells the viewer in the tale of Anna Anderson, a woman who believes and claims that she is the last remaining member of the last Tzar of Russias immediate Royal Family. She believes she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna. The story beginns with the introduction to the Royal Family. Omar Sheriff is very good as Tsar Nicholas II and Clare Bloom shines as Tsarina Alexandra. Christian Blae makes his screen dabute as Alexis. The story then unfolds into the Russian Revolution, and eventualy to the Royal Familys Execution.

We are then taken to Berlin, where a lady is attempting suicide. She has bad amnisia, but slowly begins to believe she is Anastasia. In meeting Prince Eric, they battle to gain her Title as the Hier to the Russian throne.

The story is filled with trouble and Turmoil, as well as heeps of Romance. Amy Irving is Outstanding as Anastasia, her red eyed-teary performance is outstanding. Other good parts are taken By Olivia De Havvilland as The Grand Duchess Maria, and Rex Harrison puts in a regal performance as Grand Duke Cyril.

This film may alter History slightly, but it is something you will fall in love with again and again. Well worth the price for such a gem. Fantastic.

Also available on DVD in the uk, but u have to hunt high and low! Good luck!