Great interpretation of historical events

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	• Fall of Eagles Bruce Purchase, John Barcroft Koch Vision, 2006 average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Excellent!

I enjoyed this series very much. Although very old when filmed, the recreation of the period is superb. I was really impressed when from her bedchamber, Empress Sissi views the "real" garden and gloriette of Schonnbrun!!!!!! Made my recollections of the place more vivid. Although all the cast is outstanding, for my taste the best is the one who embodies "Kaiser Wilhelm". Worth watching it.

History comes alive

If you are a history student, or just a history buff, you absolutely MUST watch this. This excellent docudrama series tells the story of the end of absolute monarchy in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. It focuses on the ruling families of Austro-Hungary, Germany, and Russia, and how they ultimately lost power during the First World War. But it doesn't just focus on the final days of these empires: The story actually starts in the 1850s, and provides a rich and intimate portrait of these three families as they try to maintain absolute rule over their respective empires in the face of opposition from rising liberal and radical forces. This is not the sort of dry chronicle of names, dates, battles, etc. that you typically find in history books and historical documentaries. This is a brilliantly acted dramatic presentation that leaves you with the feeling that you are personally acquainted with each of the historical figures portrayed in this 13-part series -- Emperor Franz Josef, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra, Rasputin, Lenin, Trotsky, Bismarck, and many others. I've studied the history of the events covered in this docudrama; but, after watching this, I feel almost as if I were actually there when these things happened. I now feel that I really know who these people were, how they lived, what they did, and what drove them. (And, from now on, whenever I think of Vladimir Lenin, I will picture Patrick Stewart, whose portrayal was masterful.) Do yourself a favor and watch this series. You'll be glad you did.

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Beware Production Values

This review is written as a corrective to the glowing reviews for a mini-series I mostly enjoyed.
I'm a student of history and found much pleasure in the historical drama to the runup to the collapse of the Hapsburgs in Austria-Hungary, the Romanovs in Russia and the Hohenzollern in Germany. The casual, part-time approach these monarchs used to rule their states, left virtually all the governing to ministries, including the foreign ministries, which led to the conflaguration in 1914, despite correspondence between cousins Nicky (Czar) and Willie (Emperor) with their declarations of peace to each other. The backdrop of the drama is compelling in itself as these three monarchs stumble their way into a vast catastrophic war that becomes their coup-de-gras; the demise of some 15 hundred years of monarchial style rule and political thinking that shortly led to inconceivably violent authoritarian Nazi and Communist regimes.

But the thirteen part series has many disabilities the average viewer will find offputting. The production values are not sub-par; they are amateurish. Thirty five years ago these may have been acceptable but today one cringes at the sight of some of this. Good editing is occassionally lacking, for example a quiet dialogue is jarringly interrupted with blarring music. Video is used to record indoor set scenes whch always belies art; we begin to see behind the art to the production. Additionally, outdoor scenes are suddenly switched to use "fuzzy" film(versus all too see-through video). Poorly fashioned graphics are used to depict large scale military and political events (riots and demonstrations): period line sketches quickly panned with dramatic music. Scenes drag as well, such as the opening of the Dress Rehersal episode, where several pointless minutes are taken to wake an aged Franz Joseph out of bed.

First episode, Death Waltz, begins with the Hapsburgs dynasty of Austrian Empire, with the aforementioned production defects plus stilted acting. The Empress dowager, purported to be able to dominate all around, seems no more menacing than an average mother-in-law not the forbidding woman that her son, the Emperor and all else fears. Sisi, the 16 year old ingenue, lacks the charm and innocense that would have captured the heart of an Emperor. Mercifully, we don't see any of these characters when some decades later they've been removed from the picture and Franz Joseph, in need of waking up as mentioned before, is now alone except for a female confidante. Unfortunately, we miss dramatic events with the fatal stabbing of Sisi by an Italian anarchist and the double-suicide of the couples son, Prince Rupert and his mistress in the interim. So the first episode gives an introduction but the characters are left to go nowhere.

The Production is redeemed in the next episode by the dramatic character of Bismark (played by Curt Jurgens), who was responsible, for good or bad, of the creation of modern Germany, fighting first Austria in 1866 and then France in 1870 to secure its existence: we see a most dramatic political character played expertly. Other fine performances, mentioning a few, Lenin (Patrick Stewart), Czarina Alexandria (Gayle Hunnicutt) and Kaiser Wilhelm II (Barry Foster). So overall the acting performances are excellent (excepting the initial episode). Political events are depicted with dramatic insight, especially interesting was Lenin forging the Bolshevik party at the 2nd Social Democratic Party Congress at London in 1903. He's seen as a Robespierre style manipulator, willing to sacrifice everyone to his goal of a revolutionary cadre bent on overthrow of the Czarist regime. Even Trotsky is seen betrayed, later a prominent member of the Communist leadership.

Bottom line the folks behind the production doesn't fully understand the medium of TV or Movies. This is a badly video'd/filmed theatre production of an amazing period of History. Watch and share the tragedy of the fall of several hundred years old monarchies; beware you must look beyond shoddy production.

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Great interpretation of historical events

I have always liked European history, and the issue of the fall of the royal dynasties is a very important aspect. When you consider that, for instance, the House of Habsburg was not only part of history, but "made" history for 800 years, you can realize how important this issue is. It is not only liking to see kings and emperors, but to understand that said men and women were the last rulers of centuries-long dynasties.

When I first saw these series, it was 1976, in Chile, in a very good Spanish translation. I was a child. I still remember several scenes, which now I have been able to remember watching these DVDs again. One, very comical, is when, during the Russian-Japanese War of 1905, Russia was contemplating to buy Chilean battleships (Chile was an important South Pacific power at that time). One of the ministers says "I did not know Chile had a navy". The Russians did not buy our ships, but the Japanese bought at least one, which fought the war with a Japanese name.

The whole series well deserves the 5 stars. The quality of the acting is superb. We must understand that this BBC series was more theatrical than big production. And the economical resourses for filming were probably not high. But the representation of the spirit of the time is great. This series fills in a blank, because as far as I know, there are no historical pictures dealing with most of these historical events.

Obviously you can always have prefered less of some aspects, and more of other one. But this series is what you seen, and you must take it as a whole, and admire it as such. I would have ommitted two chapters on Russia, one regarding Lenin and the other regarding the secret police. On the other hand, I would have included the death of emperor Franz Joseph and also the collapse of emperor's Karl "Doppelmonarchie". Also, probably the assasination of the Czar and his family (though probably the producers tried to avoid such a brutal episode). But it is only my opinion. As a whole, the work is monumental.

Regarding the acting, when I first "Fall of Eagles" in 1976, the great actor was obviously Curd Jürgens, who, incidentally was perhaps the best-well known international star of the series. His portrayal of Otto von Bismarck is really cinematrographic, and moreover, he looks exactly like BIsmarck. The producers were able to reproduce all his manners and cloth, even his boots. Now it has come to the attention of the public that Patrick Stewart had an important part as Lenin, and, moreover, in the advertising of this DVD series he appears as a very important face. That is certainly because he is now a very well known star. In 1976 probably ha was not so important. His acting, at least for me, is excellent. He believes being Lenin.

Other very good aspect of the series is the sense of continuity. Even though it is made up of separate episodes, which are not really connected one with other (there is no "To be continued ..." at the end of each episode), and often in different directing styles, always the same actors return to their imperial characters. You can see de year-long development of Emperor Franz Joseph's political wisdom, the egocentric though carismatic personality of Kaiser William II (which, was also a modern ruler, conducted well the economical progress of his country and implemented important social reforms), the eternal weakness and lack of political view of Czar Nicholas II, the honourable but negative personality of Empress Alexandra, the political skills of Bismarck to reach a political goal for his monarch and how he lived his triumphs and also his dismissal, etc., etc. You live history, you come to know and love the characters (even if you are critical to most of them).

Now, we must take also into consideration the bad aspects of this DVD set. These comments does not refer to the series, but to the DVD presentation. It seems that the chapters were not remastered. Probably there were no good original masters. But the images have notorious stripes several times, the photography does not seem clear enough (probably it was a problem of the original English productions of that time), the sound is not very good (I had to put it at a high level). And, there are no subtitles. I would have prefered at least subtitles in English, because, at least for me, I must concentrate well in the English dialogue in order not to lose a line. With bad sound, you must rise the volume too high. On the other hand, if the subtitles were in another language, for instance Spanish, it might bring many other viewers, for instance my Children and my wife.

But, in spite of these shortcomings of the presentation, this work is monumental. It deserves to be in any good library. Probably in the future a better remasterization will come, but for the next coming years, what now we have is a must for history lovers.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Fall of Eagles is the BBC's stunning 1974 dramatisation of the declining years and final collapse of three of the most powerful European dynasties the Hapsburgs Romanovs and Hohenzollerns between the mid-19th century and the end of the First World War. The series focuses on the tempestuous reigns of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary (Laurence Naismith) Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (Charles Kay - below) and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany (Barry Foster - below). Other key players include Tsarina Alexandra (Gayle Hunnicutt - below) Lenin (Patrick Stewart) Princess Vicky (Gemma Jones) and Fritz (Denis Lill).System Requirements:Running Time: 710 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating: NR UPC: 741952635697 Manufacturer No: KOCDV6356

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