Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

The review calls it a rarity as an intimate epic that tells the fascinating story of the Romanovs' downfall with literate dialogue and a clear picture of a confusing period. It singles out believable performances by Michael Jayston as Nicholas and Janet Suzman as Alexandra.

Sumptuous but overlong epic that overwhelms with detail and padding, though the leads are poignant and some performances fun.

Canby calls the film something much less than great but remains fascinated by its extraordinary historical period and events despite dopey failures and a deflated scope. He praises the spectacle of the downfall while criticizing the cramped vision and lack of panoramic sweep compared to the director's other work.

Ebert finds the film an ambitious but flawed indoor epic that fails to make its central characters compelling, rendering the Russian Revolution from an uninteresting perspective focused on banal royalty. He notes strong ensemble performances, especially from Michael Jayston and Janet Suzman, but laments the lack of romanticism or stirring quality.

The critic finds it an old-fashioned, overlong costume epic that is reactionary in its portrayal of the Tsar and revolutionaries. Praises the elegant and affecting first part detailing the love story and performances of Jayston and Suzman.

The critic argues that the film wrongly reduces the story of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife to a sentimental costumed soap opera, with overly detailed plotting and bombastic dialogue that fails to capture the political weight of their reign. While praising the Oscar-winning costumes and art direction, the review faults the focus on the couple's domestic life over the era's momentous events, resulting in a dull biopic.

The critic finds the film bloated and unwieldy despite terrific performances and gorgeous production design, struggling to humanize the pigheaded royals facing revolution.

Kael describes the film as obsequiously respectful of two royally dull, stolid figures without irony, failing to engage audiences in their fate or the history they precipitated. She notes fine acting from Janet Suzman but criticizes the impersonal writing and choice to sideline more dramatic elements like Rasputin.