Boris Godunov

Even all the years since this movie was made have not diminished what a powerful production it is. The number of sets that are either faithful reproduction or on actual location make the film a wonderful viewing experience. The music, of course, has always been one of my favorite. Even though I prefer the Rimsky-Korsakov version as being more operatically dramatic, this second version of Mussorgsky gets cut down in some instances (Pimen's monologue, the inkeeper song shortened, Boris' children's songs cut down or out) but none of this robs the spectacle that is presented to you as a film of the opera.

I usually shy away from superlatives but it seems to me that Boris Godunov is arguably the greatest of all Russian operas. It has many problems, of course, such as which version to present: Mussorgsky's first or second version, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Rathaus or what have you. But it also has a title role for an actor-bass-singer to kill for and, in fact has had many illustrious interpreters over the years such as, most famously, Feodor Chaliapin (Sr.).

This is a cut film version of the opera but certainly one of the most powerful for all that. The lead is sung by Aleksandr Pirogov whose ability to sing on pitch is questionable, especially in the long notes where one can almost drive a truck through the wobble. But his acting ability has made that rather a moot point. (Yevgeni Nesterenko in the 1987 version, in comparison, looks like he is hosting a tea party.) Mussorgsky was interested in basing his melodies on natural speech patterns and this may be the reason why this doesn't matter so much.

But the pivotal role of the Simpleton (Fool) is beautifully sung and acted by Ivan Koslovsky, a staple of the Bolshoi Opera which is featured in this film. He was apparently one of the great Russian Bel Canto tenors and one TV program on Bel Canto tenors, rebroadcast 4/7/06 was about Koslovsky and included part of this performance.

All have been carefully cast: Georgi Nelepp sings Grigori, the False Dmitri and has been made up to look like his description except that he is nowhere around 20. Boris' son Feodor is often sung by a woman but not here. I. Khmelnitsky, the Feodor, is rarely heard in this film, but when he is, he has a surprisingly high piercing voice (counter-tenor?).

Though we will probably never know the truth, the death of the true heir to the throne, Dmitri, may have been due to his playing with knives at the time of an epileptic fit and many have thought Boris was innocent of any crime. So I think it's fair to describe this Boris as Pushkin's much as the Richard III in the play is Shakespeare's.

The visuals are sometimes astonishing and the direction by Vera Stroyeva is excellent. The film edits are often badly done and obvious and the English subtitles are sparse.

This was the first of the great Russian filmed operas of the 50s, and it is of the greatest Russian opera of all. It has five acts, but it was successfully compressed into 100 minutes with nothing missing of anything vital. It also ends correctly with the revolution scene - when Rimsky-Korsakov edited the opera after Musorgsky's death, he made Boris' death scene the end of the opera. Although the film is old, it is a startling performance on all accounts, Pirogov makes a very convincing Boris with his nightmares and paranoic traumas, and Georgi Nelepp is dashing enough as the false Dimitri - all other characters are excellent as well, especially the peasants. It's the music that makes the opera, amazing from begining to end, with a never ending flow of memorable melodies, great dramatic scenes and spectacular settings reminding of Eisenstein's "Ivan the Terrible" - there are definite influences from there. But the most amazing thing is, that this grand epic opera film was directed by a woman, Vera Stroyeva, and the result is absolutely on the same level as Roman Tikhomirov's great opera films - that started five years after Vera.

Boris Godunov for me is the greatest of Russian operas and one of the finest operas there is too. This film version is excellent but it is not perfect at the same time. This is an abridged version of the opera, understandably as the opera is very long, which will make some despair. I didn't think all the cuts were bad, but a couple were so badly chopped that some scenes lost their impact. Act 3 is badly truncated to the extent that you are confused as to what is going on. I also didn't care for Fyodor's voice, to hear a high-pitched mezzo voice for a young boy really jarred for me. However, it is beautifully shot and the costumes and locations are splendid, with imaginative lighting, intoxicating shots of the Kremlin arches and a very realistic-looking burning city. As are the musical values, there is a lot of authentic Slavic flavour in the orchestral playing and conducting that in recent memory has only been replicated in my mind by Valery Gergiev. The chorus also sing powerfully.

The singing and acting of the principals is magnificent. Aleksandr Pirogov is one of the finest Boris Godunovs alongside Chaliapin, Christoff and Talvela. He does at times have a wobble to his voice, but there is also a dark sonority and command to it as well. One cannot deny either that this is a powerful reading of the tormented tsar, especially gripping in the justifiably famous Monologue. Part of you does wish that the Simpleton had more of a prominent role, he only has two scenes, but it is still important to the story. Ivan Kozlovsky sings and acts with eeriness, passion and poignancy. Maxim Mikhailov is a Pimen of great authority with a nobility to his sound, while Nikandr Khanaev's Shiusky is sly and malevolent. Aleksej Krivchenya is appropriately cunning as Varlaam, while Georgi Nelepp is an appealing Grigori and Larisa Avdeyeva likewise as Marina. Overall, flawed but still an excellent Boris Godunov. 8/10 Bethany Cox