9 scenes from the movie "Matilda" that will amaze the audience

The film directed by Alexey Uchitel "Matilda" is still in production, but everyone already knows about it, although few people have seen it. Actually, the phrase "I haven't read it, but I condemn it" fits perfectly because of the unprecedented campaign launched against the film, the organizers and participants of which strongly demand the removal of a number of scenes from the picture or a complete ban on showing in cinemas.

Instead of searching for moments that offend the feelings of the protesters, let's switch to those shots that everyone has definitely seen, and back them up with facts about the shooting and the artistic component. And we will condemn when we see the picture after all.

(11 photos in total)

The story begins with the meeting of the ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and the future Emperor Nicholas, and ends with the solemn and tragic denouement of the love story - the magnificent coronation of the last Russian emperor.

The budget of the picture was $ 25 million (almost one and a half billion rubles). Filming took place in historical interiors — in the Mariinsky Theater and the Catherine, Alexander, Yusupov and Elaginoostrovsky palaces. The decorations of the Assumption Cathedral and the Palace were built on a River pontoon. The music of the American composer Marco Beltrami was recorded by the expanded composition of the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.

The main roles were played by foreign actors. Nicholas II was played by 41-year—old Lars Eidinger, an artist of one of the most authoritative theaters in Europe, "Schaubune", who is greatly influenced by the Russian theater school, since most of those who formed the theater were born in the GDR.

Michalina Olshanska, a graduate of the Warsaw Theater Academy, was approved for the role of Matilda, who managed to bypass about 300 applicants.

Danila Kozlovsky got the intense role of an officer of the imperial army, Count Vorontsov, who literally lost his head from passion for Kshesinskaya. Judging by the trailer footage, Vorontsov is ready to do anything to recapture the ballerina from the heir to the throne.

At the birthday of the heir, the whole court gathered, led by his parents — Emperor Alexander III, played by Sergei Garmash, and Empress Maria Feodorovna, performed by Ingeborga Dapkunaite. The authors of the costumes for the film are talented St. Petersburg artists Nadezhda Vasilyeva and Olga Mikhailova. Over 17 tons of fabric were spent on the creation of costumes, and a total of 5 thousand outfits were made.

The painting recreated the crash of the imperial train in Borki, en route from the Crimea to St. Petersburg. According to the official version, due to the poor condition of the railway section and high speed, 10 cars of the train derailed. 68 out of 250 passengers were injured, 21 were killed.

Train wreck in 1888

The imperial family miraculously did not suffer in the crash, although their carriage was completely destroyed. Alexander III, according to eyewitnesses, possessing remarkable strength, held the roof of the car while his wife and children were getting out from under the rubble. The royal family escaped, but the emperor's health was seriously undermined, which led to his premature death.

The coronation of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna became the key scene of the film. Especially for the filming, a grandiose life-size scenery was built, recreating the interior of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin with extreme accuracy.

Nicholas II, already crowned, and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna swear eternal love to each other. Louise Wolfram, who played the role of the Empress, also belongs to the troupe of the Berlin "Schaubune". She had to perform the role entirely in Russian. Louise admitted that she fell in love with the language and dreams of learning it in the future.

The viewer will surely be impressed by the impressive scenes from the two ballets: "The Blue Bird and Princess Florina" and "Pearl". The latter was held during the celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II. The choreographer was Alexey Miroshnichenko, the chief choreographer of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater. The actors of the theater starred in mass scenes. Among them, an understudy was found for the performer of the role of Matilda in ballet scenes.

To recreate the scene of the tragedy on the Khodynka field on the morning of May 18, 1896, where the crowd that arrived from the night before, wanting to receive free gifts in honor of the coronation of Nicholas II, began to press the stalls, more than 2,000 extras actors participated, and filming lasted several days. As a result of the stampede in 1896, more than a thousand people died, there were as many wounded. The appearance of the late XIX century Khodynka field was given with the help of computer graphics.

In the special clinics of the XIX century, where, obviously, Count Vorontsov fell in love with Kshesinskaya, the mentally ill had a bad time. The means of treating the unfortunate left much to be desired — electric shocks, drowning. Even ancient, but modified in a modern way, tools were used — for example, the torture wheel.