Ivan The Terrible, Part Ii(1958) – Top-Rated

A tense, operatic sequence involving a masquerade and an assassination attempt in a cathedral. Key Highlights & Artistic Significance

While mostly in black and white, the final reel—the "Dance of the Oprichniki" and the cathedral climax—is filmed in stark Agfacolor . This was groundbreaking for its time, using color symbolically rather than realistically. Ivan the Terrible, Part II(1958)

Have you seen yet, or are you planning to watch the two together? My 500th Post: My 10 Best Films—From When I Was 12 A tense, operatic sequence involving a masquerade and

Features a celebrated score by Sergei Prokofiev , which is frequently performed independently by major orchestras. Have you seen yet, or are you planning

Ivan grows increasingly isolated, ruthless, and paranoid. He establishes the Oprichnina , a personal bodyguard and political police force, to terrorize his enemies.

Stalin personally objected to Part II, feeling that Ivan's "terribleness" was portrayed as a psychological weakness rather than a political necessity, leading to its suppression. Where to Watch & Further Resources Rotten Tomatoes: Currently holds a 100% Critic Score .

Picking up immediately after Part I, the film focuses on and his brutal struggle against the Boyars (the feudal nobility).