Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna

There can be no doubt that this was an entertaining piece to watch. It had a mixed ability cast with many of the main roles very badly miscast. The pre revolution scenes were too sickly sweet for words. I think the real Anastasia would have found them difficult to stomach. The whole series was loosely based on Peter Kurth's book on "Anastasia". It would have been so much better, given the huge budget, if it had been more historically accurate. It is more Mills and Boon than serious drama. It was more a love story between Anna Anderson and Prince Eric than an accurate account. I would have liked to have seen more about the trials. An interesting drama would have not painted the other side all bad like this did. I guess there was an agenda established from the very beginning that there was no possibility of denying that Anna was not Anastasia. That is where the whole thing disintegrates, sadly.

This is a richly produced, atmospheric telling of the Anastasia legend set against the time of the Russian revolution. It has the look of an authentic, handsome movie of the kind made during the golden age of Hollywood. In the title role, Amy Irving gives what is probably one of the finest performances of her career. Others around her are equally impressive: Rex Harrison, Olivia de Havilland, Claire Bloom, Omar Shariff, Jan Niklas and Susan Lucci.

The epic story begins with the start of the revolution and the exile of the family of Nicolas and Alexandra. After fleeing execution, the story follows Anastasia's years of struggle to regain her royal heritage--and the opposition of forces around her who call her an imposter.

Winner of two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and much acclaim from critics and public upon its video showing in 1986. Well worth viewing.

A correct TV drama. But not more. The subject was interesting and the speculations was not insignificant but only virtue of this film is presence of Olivia de Havilland as Maria Feodorovna. After years and canonization of Romanovs, the film is almost nice. Story about a woman who believes be daughter of last Czar , vulnerable Amy Irving and seducer Jan Niklas are parts of an over time and relevant may be short appearance of Omar Sharif, very young Christian Bale or Rex Harrison. The result - easy video, fake problem, trace of an evaporated perfume and few minutes of remembrance of a heinous murder. In fact, only sin of this movie is not stop after the Imperial Family assassination.

Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna was a big, opulent miniseries from 1986 starring Amy Irving, Claire Bloom, Omar Sharif, Olivia DeHavilland, Rex Harrison, Nicholas Surovy, Susan Lucci, Edward Fox, Christian Bale, Jan Niklas - quite a cast. Directed by Marvin J. Chomsky.

Now that we know Anastasia was a big fat fraud from Poland, one doesn't have the same feelings one had when viewing it 40 years ago. I really bought her act, even if she refused to speak Russian.

Sadly into this classy production the writers threw in a romance between the ersatz Anastasia and Prince Erich (Niklas), rather than focusing on the trials. Also the film presents the Russians as bad guys for not accepting her - the film is obviously on her side, that she is indeed Anastasia.

All the performances are excellent, and what a treat to see Christian Bale as Alexei.

My friend has books written by people from various countries telling a story that claims Alexei survived, talking about a mysterious man they know - sometimes their father - and presenting evidence that this person is Alexei. Kind of like Elvis living over a bowling alley and calling someone named Tom all the time. There were other Anastasias as well.

I found the true story so fascinating, that Prince Philip's DNA was used to disprove her claim. However, Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna is worth seeing for the performances and production values.

The poor woman who was portrayed in this movie would be convincing except for DNA evidence proving she wasn't Anastasia Romonov. Either you believe she was who she said she was or the member of the British royal family who provided DNA and shared a common ancestor with the Romonov's in Queen Victoria wasn't who they said they were which is unlikely, this aside the woman probably believed she was a Romonov even though she obviously wasn't the film seems to make her out as a callous actress who was playing everybody for fools as an alternative for her mental problems said by the surviving family even so this film was entertaining and doesn't end the mystery which was unsolved at the time of it's making but shows it as it was a mystery and I'm glad the DNA evidence is conclusive since there would be people on the internet arguing whether she was who she said she was.