“Ivan the Terrible” movie poster. 1945

Artist M Dlugach

Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Иван Грозный, Ivan Grozny) is a two-part Soviet historical drama directed by Sergei Eisenstein, with Nikolay Cherkasov as Tsar Ivan IV. The film follows Ivan’s reign, the creation of the oprichnina, and his struggles with the boyars, featuring Serafima Birman, Pavel Kadochnikov, and Lyudmila Tselikovskaya. Sergei Prokofiev composed the score.

Commissioned by Joseph Stalin in 1941, production was delayed by World War II. Filming began in 1943, mostly in Alma-Ata, with color scenes shot in Moscow. Part I premiered in 1945, winning a Stalin Prize. Part II, finished in 1946, was banned and released only in 1958. Eisenstein had planned a trilogy, but Part III was abandoned after the ban, and his death in 1948 left the work incomplete.

Reception has long been divided: while its striking visuals and ambition are praised, acting and narrative have drawn mixed reviews. The film has provoked debate over its treatment of history, religion, power, and Stalinism, and today it is regarded as one of Eisenstein’s most complex and significant works.