Russia: Land of the Tsars

( 5 )

Overview

Russia: Land of the Tsars combines three episodes of the popular series Biography, with additional information on the powerful country. Originally broadcast on The History Channel, the show is presented here in a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Beyond the documentaries on Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and Rasputin, there are no supplemental materials of any consequence. This is a fine release for ...
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DVD (Black & White / Letterbox)
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More About This Product

Overview

Russia: Land of the Tsars combines three episodes of the popular series Biography, with additional information on the powerful country. Originally broadcast on The History Channel, the show is presented here in a standard full-frame transfer that preserves the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Beyond the documentaries on Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and Rasputin, there are no supplemental materials of any consequence. This is a fine release for those with an interest in the subject matter.
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Special Features

Three episodes of A&E's award-winning series Biography - Peter the Great: The Tyrant Reformer, Ivan the Terrible: Might and Madness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk; Interactive menus; Scene selection
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Gregory Baird
One of history's most overbearing monarchies gets an epic documentary exposé in Russia: Land of the Tsars, a three-hour-plus history of the lives and loves of a line of truly world-class autocrats. After a brief account of Russia's Viking origins and Mongol subjugation, Russia: Land of the Tsars gets to the heart of the matter, the long history of tsarist rule (tsar is Russian for "Caesar"), culminating in the 300-year Romanov dynasty, which was finally toppled by the Russian revolution. The big names in this history get most of the airtime, of course, including Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great. The tales are bloody, full of assassinations and mass butchery, with more than one monarch killing his brother or even his own son, sometimes to preserve the dynasty, sometimes in a fit of pique. While not lacking in expert historical commentary, Russia: Land of the Tsars gives its subject real scandal-sheet treatment, sensationalizing the violence with stylized montage and dramatic music. This less-than-scholarly approach suits the subject matter perfectly -- after all, they didn't call him Ivan the Terrible for nothing. And complementing the bloodshed rather nicely are tabloid-worthy tales of grand romances and sex scandals. No amount of sensationalizing, however, could do justice to the real-life denouement in the story of Russia's last tsar, Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, their hemophiliac son Alexei, and the mysterious holy man–sexual predator Rasputin. Easily the most intriguing figure in the whole epic drama, Rasputin is examined in greater depth in an episode of A&E's Biography, one of three Biography episodes (Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great also get the Biography treatment) that round out this two-DVD set. It all makes for a truly entertaining history lesson -- with no homework, no pop quizzes, and no commercial interruptions.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/24/2003
  • UPC: 733961708943

    • Rating:

  • Source: A&E Home Video
  • Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1), Vistavision (1.66:1)
  • Presentation: Black & White / Letterbox
  • Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
  • Language: English
  • Time: 3:20:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 19,649

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Russia: Land of the Tsars
1. Introduction [1:01]
2. A Sense of Mystery [4:42]
3. One True Faith [3:49]
4. The Mongol Horde [8:38]
5. Ivan the Great [8:05]
6. Ivan the Terrible [9:45]
7. Return of the Tsar [9:06]
8. Time of Troubles [7:30]
9. Peter the Great [7:38]
10. Two Brothers [10:04]
11. Radical Changes [3:56]
12. Saint Petersburg [6:12]
13. Innovation and Reform [9:44]
14. Credits [:45]
1. Introduction [1:01]
2. Elizabeth the Empress [5:01]
3. Catherine the Great [7:32]
4. Peter's Demise [8:24]
5. Expansion [4:25]
6. Alexander [7:08]
7. Napolean's Attack [10:14]
8. Rights of Kings [7:39]
9. Liberation and Reform [8:23]
10. Nicholas II [7:57]
11. Uprisings [6:22]
12. Rasputin [7:43]
13. End of the Empire [8:21]
14. Credits [:45]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Russia: Land of the Tsars
   Part 1
      Play Part 1
   Part 2
      Play Part 2
   Play All
Disc #2 -- Russia: Land of the Tsars
   Ivan the Terrible: Might and Madness
   Peter the Great: The Tyrant Reformer
   Rasputin: The Mad Monk
   TimeLine of Russian Tsars
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 5 )
Rating Distribution

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(3)

4 Star

(2)

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Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews

  • Posted December 28, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    A MUST watch

    I though this was going to be a boring documentary and though about returning it....I was wrong, this was so easy to watch I probably watched it 10 times within 3 months, its an amazing program.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Russia: Land of the Tsars.

    Well worth watching, it is informative, and delves into history without being boring.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Interesting series.

    This was definitely an in depth view of the Tsars of Russia. It was a convenient and thorough look at centuries of Russian History.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 9, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews