Review: Rasputin – The Mad Monk

The story of Grigori Rasputin, the bearded and wild-eyed disgraced monk and supposed healer, who hypnotises the lady-in-waiting (Barbara Shelley) of the Russian Tzarina (Renee Asherson) and causes her to injure young Prince Alexei. This is in order to give Rasputin the opportunity to heal the boy and earn the Tzarina’s unwavering trust so that he can manipulate her to gain further power and influence! Richard Pasco plays Dr. Zargo, the alcoholic doctor Rasputin manipulates into being the Tzarina’s personal physician. Francis Matthews is Ivan, whose sister (Suzan Farmer) is another lady-in-waiting.

 

Entirely unsubtle and not especially historically accurate, this 1966 Hammer film from director Don Sharp (“The Brides of Fu Manchu”, “Bear Island”) and screenwriter Anthony Hinds (“Captain Clegg”, “Taste the Blood of Dracula”, “Scars of Dracula”) is nonetheless memorable. The chief reason for this is the wild-eyed, bellowing performance by Christopher Lee. Nowhere near the gentleman villain of many of his other performances, this is Lee getting to cut loose in Oliver Reed/Donald Pleasence-like scenery-chewing territory as the hard-drinking, moody, uncouth, yet darkly charismatic mesmerist/spiritualist. If you’ve ever seen a photo of the real Rasputin, Lee’s actually not a bad likeness if not quite having creepy enough eyes. Whatever you make of it, it’s one of Lee’s most memorable and dominating performances. He’s practically the whole show here, fine as most everything else is.

 

Barbara Shelley – who in my view should’ve been a big star – manages to hold her own opposite Lee and plays one of the more interesting and dark characters in the story. Looking positively ravishing in a mauve ball gown in one sequence (the costumes a stunning), it really is extraordinary how Rasputin manages to make her lady-in-waiting character completely subservient to him. It’s the attraction to the tall, dark, and gruesome (to take the title from Lee’s autobiography) that’ll do you in, ladies. Also registering strongly is Richard Pasco as Rasputin’s pathetic drunk companion/accomplice, and the rather Cary Grant-ish Francis Matthews offers able support as the requisite Hammer romantic leading man. I think Matthews was a more interesting and capable actor than Hammer allowed him to really show. Pasco’s naturally deep sunken eyes are perfect for the role and make him look older than his 40 years at the time. Although she doesn’t get much screen time, Renee Asherson is good as the Tzarina as well. Look out for an uncredited Bryan Marshall early on, who doesn’t like the cut of Rasputin’s jib and quickly gets his arse handed to him in a barn fight, Yes, Rasputin in a barn fight. I know. Marshall passed away in 2019 after making Australia his home in later years. And yes, that is an utterly ridiculous-looking Joss Ackland as a hairy Russian bishop.

 

The film has been beautifully shot by Michael Reed (“The Gorgon”, “Dracula: Prince of Darkness”) and features a very fine music score by Don Banks (“Captain Clegg”, “The Evil of Frankenstein”). As hammy as it all is, the story basics (accurate or not) are still interesting and entertaining. Rasputin deliberately sinning so he has something to confess and be forgiven for is really something. Meanwhile, Rasputin’s quick and absolute rise to power is really rather shocking to witness here. You do wish Hammer had pulled back on the obvious “Dracula” vibes a bit, and I don’t just mean that several cast and crew were also in Hammer’s “Dracula – Prince of Darkness”. The characters and story structure are a tad too familiar. I get it, Dracula and Rasputin as characters have their similarities, but I think Hammer saw a bit of an opportunity to cash-in on what had already been profitable for them and laid it on just a touch too thick.

 

Historically accurate or not (and the climax certainly is not), this is a lively, enjoyable slice of ham from Hammer. An absolute must for Christopher Lee fans, as he dominates proceedings with a ferocious, wildly mesmerising performance.   

 

Rating: B-

 

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