Rating: 
Summary: Ingrid Bergman in one of the finest performances of all time
Review: Ingrid Bergman (always highly magnetic) gives a haunting performance that must be considered one of the greatest in film history. Despite the commanding presence of Yul Brynner, she dwarfs him, and really everyone else in the film, excepting Helen Hays (who is also superb). Director Anatole Litvak's handling may be quaintly theatrical, and be a bit elegant for today's viewers; but the performances, dialogue, and ever tantalizing mystery (is she, or isn't she?) clutch the attention throughout. While this film may throw little light on history, it draws in its characters expertly, entertains solidly, and the choreography of individual scenes (particularly those between Bergman and Hays) is positively electric. A highly enjoyable and satisfying film!
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Summary: An Epic Adventure
Review: Ingrid Bergman chose this film to re-launch her Hollywood career,after she was 'exiled' after leaving her husband for another man,and what a redemption!This film is in a league all it's own,a true masterpiece of storytelling and raw emotion. Ingrid Bergman is so convincing as Anna Koren,the bewildered young woman who is taken by the General Bounine (Yul Brynner) to pose as the presumed dead Anastasia in order to claim a claim to the Romanov family estate. The remaining family is not convinced,and the only way that Anna will gain acceptance is to get the ultimate acceptance-that of the Dowager Empress (Helen Hayes) who is also not about to let an imposter take the throne. Along the way,however,it becomes evident that Anna Koren and Anastasia Romanov are one and the same! Also starring is the talented Martita Hunt as the delightful Baroness von Livenbaum. Based on the Broadway play by Marcelle Maurette that starrred Viveca Lindfors as Anna Koren and Cathleen Nesbitt as the Dowager Empress.
Rating: 
Summary: Bergman & Brynner = No chemistry/DVD poor sound quality.
Review: Let me start off by saying that I find Ingrid Bergman a goddess among actresses, and Yul Brynner is always interesting to watch. But I discovered to my surprise (and disappointment) that Bergman and Brynner had very little chemistry...I have always found the story of Anastasia to be extremely fascinating, and this production was fine in many details, but when all was said and done, "Anastasia" was remarkably overdone and underwhelming because of some very shallow writing and the miscasting of the two stars.Helen Hayes easily stole the movie as Anastasia's grandmother. She had the best lines. A critical scene: When Anastasia appeals to her grandmother to open her eyes to the truth, the words seem artificial. I saw the grandmother, an elderly woman who has lost everything, as the victim and never Anastasia. There is no doubt that Bergman poored her heart into the scene, but her words rang false every time she tried to convince Hayes she was her niece. And even after Anastasia's acceptance by her grandmother, the ending seems artificial and rushed, as if the director ran out of patience and yelled 'cut' prematurely. Brynner always seems to be more interested in himself than Anastasia or his friends. And when he DOES finally show a little compassion when he asks for a meeting with Hayes near the end, it is too little too late because we still don't see what Anastasia would see in this selfish man who has not once been nice to her in the whole time he has known her (maybe he was nice to her at one point, but that ended up on the cutting room floor). And we are to believe that the grandmother is okay with this? That Anastasia loves him? That this man and Anastasia will live happily ever after? Wrong. Some of you might be suggesting right about now that I should get a life, that "Anastasia" is a classic. It's true. It is a classic. And Bergman never looked more beautiful, and Brynner more dashing. A bigger annoyance was the DVD's poor restoration. The audio quality is clearly out of synch with the rest of the movie. A better effort should have been done by all.
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Summary: What a Mystery!
Review: One of the great mysteries and controversies of the twentieth century was whether anyone survived the execution of Czar Nicholas II's family. There were always rumours that the youngest daughter Anastasia had survived and escaped, and many imposters tried to claim the crown. The most credible was Anna Anderson, and this film explores her story. Ingrid Bergman gives an excellent, touching performance at the amnesiac woman who seems to more know about the family than any imposter could. Yul Brynner is the Prince who tries to make her over into Anastasia for financial gain, only to discover she may be the real thing. Helen Hayes is Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress, the one person's approval that could validate Bergman/Brynner's claim. Hayes is terrific as the skeptical royal, tired of so many pretenders to the crown. Her meeting scene with Bergman is one of the great scenes of all time. The film is well made, directed, written, and acted, and even though science seems to have proven now that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia, this does not diminish from the film's impact, especially given that she knew so much that cannot be so easily explained. It remains a great mystery!
Rating:
Summary: What a Mystery!
Review: One of the great mysteries and contrversies of the twentieth century was whether anyone survived the execution of Czar Nicholas II's family. There were always rumours that the youngest daughter Anastasia had survived and escaped, and many imposters tried to claim the crown. The most credible was Anna Anderson, and this film explores her story. Ingrid Bergman gives an excellent, touching performance at the amnesiac woman who seems to more know about the family than any imposter could. Yul Brynner is the Prince who tries to make her over into Anastasia for financial gain, only to discover she may be the real thing. Helen Hayes is Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress, the one person's approval that could validate Bergman/Brynner's claim. Hayes is terrific as the skeptical royal, tired of so many pretenders to the crown. Her meeting scene with Bergman is one of the great scenes of all time. The film is well made, directed, written, and acted, and even though science seems to have proven now that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia, this does not diminish from the film's impact, especially given that she knew so much that cannot be so easily explained. It remains a great mystery!
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Summary: A GREAT MOVIE!
Review: Please forgive me for my poor English.(In fact, I'm a high school student in P.R.C.)But I likethis movie too much!Ingrid Bergman's acting moved me very much and I think theconversations between Anastasia and her grandmother is very touching. But I love General Bounine best.I think YulBrynner is one of the best actors I have ever seen. Because of this,I want to buy the DVD of "Anastasia", then I can see this excellent movie again and again. PLEASE WATCH "ANASTASIA" ASSOON AS POSSIBLE!
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Summary: Anachronistic Goof
Review: Set in 1924 the film shows a map on the wall of Akim Tamiroff's shabby office which displays the partition of Germany which started in 1945. Tamiroff could have been a millionaire-oracler if he had only looked at his wall!
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Summary: MYTHIC HOLLYWOOD FABLE - BEAUTIFUL STORYTELLING
Review: The 1956 version of ?Anastasia? is the rapturous fairytale that attempts to answer the question surrounding the mystery of what became of the youngest daughter belonging to Tsar Nicholas II, the last Imperial ruler of Russia. Arthur Lawrence happily distances his screenplay from anything even remotely associated with the tragic historical record to focus instead on a troupe of militant loyalist exiles wallowing in their pasts in Paris. Ingrid Bergman stars as the mysterious woman with no past who is plucked from obscurity by con man, General Bounine (Yul Brynner). Bounine wants to get his hands on Anastasia?s ten million dollar inheritance. Engaging two former masters from Russia?s imperial court, the conniving Chernov (Akim Tamaroff) and the nervous Petrovan (Sasha Pitoeff) Bounine begins to educate his find in a crash course of social graces and royal protocol. However, somewhere between the lesson and the past, the prot?g? begins to recall places and people that she hasn?t been taught about, leaving Bounine with more curiosity and questions than ever before. Can it be that the woman with no past is in fact the actual heir to the Russian throne? Helen Hayes costars as the impeccable Dowager Empress. Her initial reaction to Bounine is one of bitter disdain. But when the woman being groomed as Anastasia suddenly recalls for the Empress a memory that no one but she could have known, the Dowager?s heart melts and she accepts the woman as her grand daughter. As a mere supporting player, Martita Hunt, as the Baroness Von Livenbaum, is a genuine scene stealer. This is a film of immense emotional undercurrents made all the more poignant by a stellar cast of performers. Fox DVD has done a very nice job remastering this film for DVD. Previous editions on laserdisc and VHS had been plagued by orangy flesh tones and excessive amounts of film grain. This DVD corrects and properly balances the colors. Though at times flesh tones can appear a little on the pasty side, over all the color, black levels and fine detail are impeccably rendered. A slight amount of edge enhancement and some very minute aliasing crops up in a few scenes but nothing that will distract. The audio is a 4.0 remastering effort that brings back the early grandeur of Cinemascope stereophonic recording to its original glory.
Extras include a Biography Special on the real Anastasia, a Movie-tones trailer, a restoration comparison and the film's original theatrical trailer - plus an insightful audio commentary running throughout the film's presentation.
This is a handsomely mounted production that really lives up to its subject matter. What became of the real Anastasia remains secret to this day. The film, rather than offer closure, presents more questions than answers - a fitting end to one of the 20th century's most tragic and compelling vanishing acts.
Rating:
Summary: Too much crammed into 1 hour and 44 minutes
Review: The acting is superb, but too often hurried. Scenes come without support from the previous scenes. Except for four characters, nothing is developed into something meaningful. The performance of Ingrid saves this movie from the "B" heap. The surprising ending is masterfully though vaguely achieved.
You all too much find yourself trying to understand who is doing what and why as situation after situation flashes by in a flurry of activity.
Brenner shows that he is stuck in the role of "The King and I", except here he is a former Russian general. Commanding the stage like a director in disguise, he orders everyone about like a true King would.
I found myself disappointed in the overall lack of substance to this movie, except for the role Ingrid played. She is given the most screen time.
This classic should have been given another half hour to play out, to develop character in the players. I would never watch it again, it is too insubstantial. This is one video that gets stored away, rather than kept in my collection. Nice, but where's the beef?
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Summary: Special features
Review: The DVD versionÕs special features of this classic film is jammed pack with historical information, not only about early 20th century Russian aristocracy, but also about the Ôbehind the scenesÕ making of this wonderful movie. For this humble DVD collector, I prefer as much expert commentary as can possibly fit into the format. Does anyone know more about the industry than Sylvia Stoddard? I donÕt think so.
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