In 1547, Ivan IV, the duke of Moscow, crowns himself czar of Russia, with his goal to reconquer Russian territory. A turbulent time in Russian history with battles against Tartars, his marriage with Anastasia, his illness and unexpected recover.

A wonderful, interesting film by Eisenstein who is known for his great silent cinema like The Battleship Potemkin. Ivan Groznyy I is visual beautiful with its shots of shadows on the wall and the grotesque set for the battle against the Tartars. At first I was a bit sceptical about the expressive, theatrical and bombastic acting in this film but soon I was overwhelmed by the greatness of the film. Ivan Groznyy I is made with Stalin’s approval, the second part however was forbidden and the material of the third part of this trilogy was destroyed on the order of Stalin. There never came a third part.