Even though the monarchy was dead, at the time, the Red Army was killing anyone who was a Romanov or associated with the White Army. It wouldn’t have been safe for her to stay with her grandmother. I enjoy studying the history of the Romanovs. This movie is a historical fantasy based on the rumor of Anastasia’s survival. The Romanov family was murdered in 1918. The Bolsheviks told the world that only the Tsar was killed. They said that his wife and family were sent to a “safe place.” Their bones were excavated in the 1990s after the USRR fell. When the Romanovs mass grave was found 2 bodies were missing: Alexei and one of his older sisters (either Maria or Anastasia). DNA proved that the sister buried with him was Maria. Anastasia’s bones had already been found. During that period, many Romanov imposters claimed to be some of the Tsar’s children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. The most famous imposter (Anna Anderson) claimed to be Anastasia, but DNA proved she wasn’t the Grand Duchess. Rasputin “healed” young Alexei who suffered from severe Hemophilia. Any bump or minor injury could bleed out from the inside. The Romanovs told no one the real reason why Rasputin was in the palace. Taking Alexei off of Aspirin and him being able to calm Alexei’s mother would have been a big help. He was kind of shady in real life, but I’m not a fan of what they did to him in this movie. Rasputin was murdered by gunshot since the poison wasn’t working and then his body was dumped into an icy river. Lots of people thought he drowned, but I read in an autopsy report that no water was found in his lungs, so he didn’t die by drowning. The Bolsheviks were propagandists and spread rumors that the Tsarina and Rasputin were in a relationship and that he and the Tsarina had power in the Court. They didn’t. Only the Tsar could make final decisions and he wasn’t as taken with Rasputin as his wife. The family was isolated and the Tsarina being a German princess during WWI exacerbated Russians unhappiness. In real life, the Dowager Empress was not close with her granddaughter Anastasia. Their aunt Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was closer to the children. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna actually met Anna Anderson and knew she wasn’t her niece. The Dowager Empress never met with any of the imposters. I loved the historical easter eggs with the drawing Anastasia drew, the music box, and the pearl necklaces during OUAD. The real Anastasia did love pranks and practical jokes. She was also strawberry blond. Lots of things happened under the Tsar, but I don’t think he was an evil tyrant. Very incompetent and stubborn. He made a lot of bad decisions. But his children did a lot to help their people. Olga and Tatiana were nurses during the Great War, started many hospitals, and charities, and helped women, and refugees. Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei were too young to be nurses, so they kept wounded soldiers company and helped raise money for people. The children didn’t deserve their fate. The Tsarina’s flaws and significant health issues aside, she was also a nurse during WWI. Despite the historical anachronisms, this is still a fun movie. This movie was also a loose adaptation of the 1956 film Anastasia, which was an adaptation of the 1950s French stage play. This animated movie was loosely adapted into a Broadway musical and I loved it even more than the movie. It's more grounded in reality and there are no magical elements. Rasputin and Bartok were replaced by a Soviet Officer. A much more complex and interesting antagonist.
The central concept of this story is just so clever and delightful to me: con artists teaching an amnesiac to imitate HERSELF without even realizing it. It feels like something from a classic Shakespeare comedy.
While it's not really explained in this film, it has been proven that experiencing certain smells can help those with amnesia remember forgotten parts of their past and I love how it's something that was incorporated into this film.
1. It would be remiss of me not to point out that this is based on the actual fall of the Russian monarchy, and the youngest daughter, Anastasia's rumored survival. 2. "In The Dark Of The Night" is one of my all-time favorite villain songs. 3. I can't wait to see your reactions to the other Don Bluth movies. They seriously gave Disney a run for their money in the 1980's.
I was OBSESSED with this movie when I was like 11 years old, it was one of three movies I rented almost every weekend from Blockbuster for, like, a year. Once Upon A December still gets so many emotions from me everytime I hear it and my go to phrase when i suddenly remember something is 'And I recall his yellow cat!'. Maybe it's nostalgia, yes, but this movie holds a special place in my heart.
@@vetarlittorf1807 I agree with you. Truly, I do. I absolutely HATE it when people refer to Pixar films as Disney films. Pixar is a separate brand, yet they do it all the fucking time. It's annoying.
I was and am obsessed with this movie! When I saw they had a Broadway musical years ago, I followed on Facebook to see their tours. I thought I'd never get to see it, but last year my hubby took me to the nearest showing on their tour! It was so much fun and so beautifully adapted for the stage❤😊 23:11 this song is my absolute favorite. I played it at our wedding during our unity candle and had a slideshow of my hubby and i throughout the years, before and after we were together 😊❤
I've always enjoyed the scene where she finds out the truth and slaps him. It's so well done- you can see and feel all the emotions with her feeling betrayed and naïve and his desperation to explain himself- and I've always loved to give kudos to the gentlemen who block Dimitri from following her after she storms off. So glad you've had a chance to watch one of Bluth's best (not that there are many bad ones to choose from) with my second favorite villian song (First place always belongs to Tim Curry in Pebble and the Penguin). Anyway, another great reaction!
Actually Don Bluth directed Secret of NIMH and Land Before Time. He also did All Dogs Go To Heaven and An American Tail if you’re interested in those movies. Rasputin was voiced by Christopher Lloyd (aka Doc Brown) and his singing was done by Jim Cummings, one of the best voice actors, who did a good chunk of Scar's singing for Be Prepared. Also, Bartok's voice actor, Hank Azaria... "Phone call for Al! Al Coholic! Is there an Al Coholic here?"
It's such an odd movie, and yet I really do enjoy it. Like... they took a real-life assassination that occurred in the 20th century and somehow made a fairytale out of it. It shouldn't work, yet it kind of does? What's really wild is Anya doesn't even know about Rasputin for most of the movie! How many movies can you think of where the protagonists have no idea the antagonist even exists for, like, 7/8s of the film? Also, it needs to be stated: The music is by veteran Broadway composers Ahrens & Flaherty. Lynn Ahrens actually did the lyrics for Schoolhouse Rock classics like "Interplanet Janet". On Broadway, the team are best known for Ragtime, Seussical, and Once On This Island (they also did the Rocky musical, which... I feel like is remembered more for its effects than its music? Still, a notable contribution)
Man I love this movie. Yes, it wa a clearly trying to capitalize on the Disney’s princess musical movie success and yes it’s not historically accurate but it’s such a fun movie. It was one the big ones of my childhood. Once Upon a December is such an iconic sequence. The part where the ghosts come out of the paintings is so good! And don’t even get me started on what a banger In the Dark of the Night is!
I really like this movie, but I love the Broadway musical so much more! I really liked all of the changes they made, and the new songs are so beautiful!
YOu are not wrong, the Romnovs were definitly not angels. It is often said that, if Nicholas II had been born one or two Genrations earlier, he probably would have just fallen into obscurity. He wasn't a very good ruler, but he was also not out of the ordinary evil - but he was a prideful Idiot. this mainly came into focus in WWI where he insisted on leading the troops himself and getting thousands killed because he was absolutely shite at it. This was one of the many sparks that Grandmama mentions, that stoked the fires of the Revolution. Add to that a few famine years and the general feeling of mistrust towards royalty that had been growing since the French Revolution and this was really only a matter of time. Nicholai was also _very_ antisemitic, allowing the so called Progroms to happen (You remember American tail? That is pretty much what happens in the beginning. The jewish Community was hunted and ousted, which caused many of them to flee to America) but sadly, Nicholai wasn't really and outlier in that regard when it comes to Russian Tzars. One fun Tidbid though: There is a famous quote of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. that, if their Grandmother was still alive, she would never have allowed WWI to happen, as he, Tzar Nicholai II and King George V where all direct Cousins. Rasputin called himself a Mircle Man and he gained Alexandras trust mostly by caring for her Son Alexei. Alexei, the poor child, was born with Hemophilia, which he had inhereted from his mothers family side, something she knew and deeply blamed herself for. It was so bad that sometimes a bunmpy Carriage Ride could leave him bedridden for days. Twice, Alexandra called for Rasputin when Alexei was very injured and shortly afterwards he was healed, making her belief the stories about him. It is by now widely beliefed, that it was the fact that Rasputin told Alexandra to send the Doctors away was actually what caused Alexei to get better. The Doctors were giving Alexei Aspirin for the pain, _which is a bloodthinner._ This in combination with constant attention around him, when what he really needed was rest and time, meant that Raspputins interference _did_ have a positive outcome on his health, even if it wasn't magical or divine.
I haven't seen this in DECADES! I LOVE Meg Ryan and Jon Cusack, being a child of the 80's! Hank Azaria is ALWAYS great AND one of my favorite video game as a kid (pre-Nintendo) was Rasputin, so it comes full circle! I always wondered the same about the ending with why she couldn't just marry Dimitri as well, but still satisfying.
The characters I believe are based on real historical people, specifically Anna and Rasputin, but I heard the real Anna was never found. It’s also loosely based on a 1956 period drama of the same name.
@oliviarogers2808 @ghostspider2056 Yeah, they did identify her corpse, and it turns out she died when everyone said she did in the shooting that killed her family., But that was after this movie was made, to be fair.
Yeah, the whole “why couldn’t Anastasia just marry Dimitri and also be a princess?” is a big question. 😆 I figured it’s maybe cause royal society can be snobby and Anastasia didn’t want Dimitri to have to deal with that? Or because Dimitri was feeling insecure, she didn’t want him to feel like he was ‘besmirching’ her by them being together, so why not just give up her title and be ‘normal’? She never cared about being rich, she wanted to find her family and she did. Also, I suppose they wanted Dimitri’s arc to end with him simply being glad to have the woman he loved and no money. Guess it wouldn’t seem as satisfying for him to give up money for love and then to end up being rich anyway just by marrying a Princess. 🤷♀️
Plus Anastasia never really had any intention of becoming a princess. She just wanted to find out where she came from. Now that she knows she can look towards the future. And that future is Dimitri.
The stage musical does a better job of explaining this, honestly - they take out Rasputin and make the Soviet Union the antagonists, making it clear that they don't want a Romanov coming out of the woodwork and challenging their rule. A few of the officers hunt the group down once they sneak out of the country and one of them almost shoots her. Between that, her love for Dmitry, and having misgivings about coming out as a princess already, Anya decides it's better to stay in obscurity, happy she at least knows who she is.
Oh, i highly reccomed "Bartok, The Magnificent" a Prequel(?) of sorts to this Movie. It has nowhere near the scope and Grandeuir of this but it is an immensly fun Romp and doesn't get enough love.
Is this a reupload? im gonna watch but i could swear.........look my mental health isn't great right now, so please, no joke, tell me if this is reupload or not.
Even though the monarchy was dead, at the time, the Red Army was killing anyone who was a Romanov or associated with the White Army. It wouldn’t have been safe for her to stay with her grandmother.
I enjoy studying the history of the Romanovs. This movie is a historical fantasy based on the rumor of Anastasia’s survival.
The Romanov family was murdered in 1918. The Bolsheviks told the world that only the Tsar was killed. They said that his wife and family were sent to a “safe place.” Their bones were excavated in the 1990s after the USRR fell. When the Romanovs mass grave was found 2 bodies were missing: Alexei and one of his older sisters (either Maria or Anastasia). DNA proved that the sister buried with him was Maria. Anastasia’s bones had already been found.
During that period, many Romanov imposters claimed to be some of the Tsar’s children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. The most famous imposter (Anna Anderson) claimed to be Anastasia, but DNA proved she wasn’t the Grand Duchess.
Rasputin “healed” young Alexei who suffered from severe Hemophilia. Any bump or minor injury could bleed out from the inside. The Romanovs told no one the real reason why Rasputin was in the palace. Taking Alexei off of Aspirin and him being able to calm Alexei’s mother would have been a big help. He was kind of shady in real life, but I’m not a fan of what they did to him in this movie. Rasputin was murdered by gunshot since the poison wasn’t working and then his body was dumped into an icy river. Lots of people thought he drowned, but I read in an autopsy report that no water was found in his lungs, so he didn’t die by drowning.
The Bolsheviks were propagandists and spread rumors that the Tsarina and Rasputin were in a relationship and that he and the Tsarina had power in the Court. They didn’t. Only the Tsar could make final decisions and he wasn’t as taken with Rasputin as his wife. The family was isolated and the Tsarina being a German princess during WWI exacerbated Russians unhappiness.
In real life, the Dowager Empress was not close with her granddaughter Anastasia. Their aunt Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna was closer to the children. Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna actually met Anna Anderson and knew she wasn’t her niece. The Dowager Empress never met with any of the imposters. I loved the historical easter eggs with the drawing Anastasia drew, the music box, and the pearl necklaces during OUAD. The real Anastasia did love pranks and practical jokes. She was also strawberry blond.
Lots of things happened under the Tsar, but I don’t think he was an evil tyrant. Very incompetent and stubborn. He made a lot of bad decisions. But his children did a lot to help their people. Olga and Tatiana were nurses during the Great War, started many hospitals, and charities, and helped women, and refugees. Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei were too young to be nurses, so they kept wounded soldiers company and helped raise money for people. The children didn’t deserve their fate. The Tsarina’s flaws and significant health issues aside, she was also a nurse during WWI.
Despite the historical anachronisms, this is still a fun movie. This movie was also a loose adaptation of the 1956 film Anastasia, which was an adaptation of the 1950s French stage play. This animated movie was loosely adapted into a Broadway musical and I loved it even more than the movie. It's more grounded in reality and there are no magical elements. Rasputin and Bartok were replaced by a Soviet Officer. A much more complex and interesting antagonist.
The central concept of this story is just so clever and delightful to me: con artists teaching an amnesiac to imitate HERSELF without even realizing it. It feels like something from a classic Shakespeare comedy.
While it's not really explained in this film, it has been proven that experiencing certain smells can help those with amnesia remember forgotten parts of their past and I love how it's something that was incorporated into this film.
1. It would be remiss of me not to point out that this is based on the actual fall of the Russian monarchy, and the youngest daughter, Anastasia's rumored survival.
2. "In The Dark Of The Night" is one of my all-time favorite villain songs.
3. I can't wait to see your reactions to the other Don Bluth movies. They seriously gave Disney a run for their money in the 1980's.
This movie isn't even that good
Fun Fact: The villain song “In the Dark of the Night” is sung by Jim Cummings who did 3/4 of the song “Be Prepared” from The Lion King.
I think you mean he sang 1/4 of _Be prepared_ not 3/4. His bit was recorded after Iron lost his voice.
I was OBSESSED with this movie when I was like 11 years old, it was one of three movies I rented almost every weekend from Blockbuster for, like, a year. Once Upon A December still gets so many emotions from me everytime I hear it and my go to phrase when i suddenly remember something is 'And I recall his yellow cat!'. Maybe it's nostalgia, yes, but this movie holds a special place in my heart.
When young Anastasia fell off the train, she hit her head, was knocked unconscious, and woke up with amnesia.
The best non-Disney princess there is.
Disney bought Fox, so she's officially a Disney princess now.
@@Mic-Mak That's not how it works. She never appeared in a Disney animated feature, therefore she's not a Disney princess.
@@vetarlittorf1807 I agree with you. Truly, I do. I absolutely HATE it when people refer to Pixar films as Disney films. Pixar is a separate brand, yet they do it all the fucking time. It's annoying.
@@vetarlittorf1807Calling Anastasia "non-Disney" is like calling Shrek "non-Universal".
@@vetarlittorf1807Just because Anastasia was not originally created by Disney doesn’t mean she can’t be a Disney Princess!
The Broadway show is so different but it's really great in its own right. Also, I definitely had a major crush on Dimitri when I was a kid, lol.
No it isn't. She cruises thru the movie while demetri actually has agency.
@@Itsant33 Huh?
I was and am obsessed with this movie! When I saw they had a Broadway musical years ago, I followed on Facebook to see their tours. I thought I'd never get to see it, but last year my hubby took me to the nearest showing on their tour! It was so much fun and so beautifully adapted for the stage❤😊
23:11 this song is my absolute favorite. I played it at our wedding during our unity candle and had a slideshow of my hubby and i throughout the years, before and after we were together 😊❤
I've always enjoyed the scene where she finds out the truth and slaps him. It's so well done- you can see and feel all the emotions with her feeling betrayed and naïve and his desperation to explain himself- and I've always loved to give kudos to the gentlemen who block Dimitri from following her after she storms off.
So glad you've had a chance to watch one of Bluth's best (not that there are many bad ones to choose from) with my second favorite villian song (First place always belongs to Tim Curry in Pebble and the Penguin). Anyway, another great reaction!
Actually Don Bluth directed Secret of NIMH and Land Before Time. He also did All Dogs Go To Heaven and An American Tail if you’re interested in those movies.
Rasputin was voiced by Christopher Lloyd (aka Doc Brown) and his singing was done by Jim Cummings, one of the best voice actors, who did a good chunk of Scar's singing for Be Prepared.
Also, Bartok's voice actor, Hank Azaria...
"Phone call for Al! Al Coholic! Is there an Al Coholic here?"
This is my favourite animated film, the music and story are so good. My mum even got me a big jigsaw of the film poster when I first had it on video
In The Beginning is one of the best movie soundtrack songs of all time imo
Childhood classic and the soundtrack is BANGING
It's such an odd movie, and yet I really do enjoy it. Like... they took a real-life assassination that occurred in the 20th century and somehow made a fairytale out of it. It shouldn't work, yet it kind of does? What's really wild is Anya doesn't even know about Rasputin for most of the movie! How many movies can you think of where the protagonists have no idea the antagonist even exists for, like, 7/8s of the film?
Also, it needs to be stated: The music is by veteran Broadway composers Ahrens & Flaherty. Lynn Ahrens actually did the lyrics for Schoolhouse Rock classics like "Interplanet Janet". On Broadway, the team are best known for Ragtime, Seussical, and Once On This Island (they also did the Rocky musical, which... I feel like is remembered more for its effects than its music? Still, a notable contribution)
Man I love this movie. Yes, it wa a clearly trying to capitalize on the Disney’s princess musical movie success and yes it’s not historically accurate but it’s such a fun movie. It was one the big ones of my childhood.
Once Upon a December is such an iconic sequence. The part where the ghosts come out of the paintings is so good! And don’t even get me started on what a banger In the Dark of the Night is!
I really like this movie, but I love the Broadway musical so much more! I really liked all of the changes they made, and the new songs are so beautiful!
Yesssssssss! The Broadway musical of Anastasia is one of my top favs, the OBC were incredible
Yes!! I'm a huge fan of the stage musical!!
Derek Klena singing "In a Crowd of Thousands"? SWOON
@@blahblahblahSPLASH omg yes that song is just 😍😍😍 he's a total dreamboat
@@blahblahblahSPLASHoh and "Everything To Win" as well!
YOu are not wrong, the Romnovs were definitly not angels. It is often said that, if Nicholas II had been born one or two Genrations earlier, he probably would have just fallen into obscurity. He wasn't a very good ruler, but he was also not out of the ordinary evil - but he was a prideful Idiot. this mainly came into focus in WWI where he insisted on leading the troops himself and getting thousands killed because he was absolutely shite at it. This was one of the many sparks that Grandmama mentions, that stoked the fires of the Revolution. Add to that a few famine years and the general feeling of mistrust towards royalty that had been growing since the French Revolution and this was really only a matter of time.
Nicholai was also _very_ antisemitic, allowing the so called Progroms to happen (You remember American tail? That is pretty much what happens in the beginning. The jewish Community was hunted and ousted, which caused many of them to flee to America) but sadly, Nicholai wasn't really and outlier in that regard when it comes to Russian Tzars.
One fun Tidbid though: There is a famous quote of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. that, if their Grandmother was still alive, she would never have allowed WWI to happen, as he, Tzar Nicholai II and King George V where all direct Cousins.
Rasputin called himself a Mircle Man and he gained Alexandras trust mostly by caring for her Son Alexei. Alexei, the poor child, was born with Hemophilia, which he had inhereted from his mothers family side, something she knew and deeply blamed herself for. It was so bad that sometimes a bunmpy Carriage Ride could leave him bedridden for days. Twice, Alexandra called for Rasputin when Alexei was very injured and shortly afterwards he was healed, making her belief the stories about him. It is by now widely beliefed, that it was the fact that Rasputin told Alexandra to send the Doctors away was actually what caused Alexei to get better. The Doctors were giving Alexei Aspirin for the pain, _which is a bloodthinner._ This in combination with constant attention around him, when what he really needed was rest and time, meant that Raspputins interference _did_ have a positive outcome on his health, even if it wasn't magical or divine.
This is one of my favorite non-Disney animated movies
"You can have both!" - Pretty much everyone who watches this movie
You have no idea how much money I would pay to see this movie in theaters again! The ballroom sequence...SIR!
I looooove this movie!😭
Anya and Dimitri are the OG enemies to lovers 😍😍😍
I haven't seen this in DECADES! I LOVE Meg Ryan and Jon Cusack, being a child of the 80's! Hank Azaria is ALWAYS great AND one of my favorite video game as a kid (pre-Nintendo) was Rasputin, so it comes full circle! I always wondered the same about the ending with why she couldn't just marry Dimitri as well, but still satisfying.
There’s also a direct to video spin-off film centred on the white bat Bartok.
My favorite movie of allll time!!!!
Rasputin scared me so much as a child. His real story is wild.
Fun fact: the scene during 13:42 wasn't included on video in Australia
The characters I believe are based on real historical people, specifically Anna and Rasputin, but I heard the real Anna was never found. It’s also loosely based on a 1956 period drama of the same name.
They found her eventually. Sadly.
@oliviarogers2808 @ghostspider2056 Yeah, they did identify her corpse, and it turns out she died when everyone said she did in the shooting that killed her family., But that was after this movie was made, to be fair.
Yeah, the whole “why couldn’t Anastasia just marry Dimitri and also be a princess?” is a big question. 😆
I figured it’s maybe cause royal society can be snobby and Anastasia didn’t want Dimitri to have to deal with that? Or because Dimitri was feeling insecure, she didn’t want him to feel like he was ‘besmirching’ her by them being together, so why not just give up her title and be ‘normal’? She never cared about being rich, she wanted to find her family and she did.
Also, I suppose they wanted Dimitri’s arc to end with him simply being glad to have the woman he loved and no money. Guess it wouldn’t seem as satisfying for him to give up money for love and then to end up being rich anyway just by marrying a Princess. 🤷♀️
Plus Anastasia never really had any intention of becoming a princess. She just wanted to find out where she came from. Now that she knows she can look towards the future. And that future is Dimitri.
The stage musical does a better job of explaining this, honestly - they take out Rasputin and make the Soviet Union the antagonists, making it clear that they don't want a Romanov coming out of the woodwork and challenging their rule. A few of the officers hunt the group down once they sneak out of the country and one of them almost shoots her. Between that, her love for Dmitry, and having misgivings about coming out as a princess already, Anya decides it's better to stay in obscurity, happy she at least knows who she is.
Rasputin really scared me when I was a child I even had nightmare of him and run into my parents bed crying my mother for my sake she hide the dvd
Rasputin is also in Hellboy (2004)😁
If you get rich and you DON'T have a backyard maze and at least 2 hidden rooms, you don't deserve to have wealth
Oh, i highly reccomed "Bartok, The Magnificent" a Prequel(?) of sorts to this Movie. It has nowhere near the scope and Grandeuir of this but it is an immensly fun Romp and doesn't get enough love.
Is this a reupload? im gonna watch but i could swear.........look my mental health isn't great right now, so please, no joke, tell me if this is reupload or not.
You should watch the sequel “Bartok the Magnificent”
to be fair Tangled is similar to this one not the other way around
Movie story is a bit too farfetched talking about real history stuff, which usually strikes a nerve 😤.
But it was good in many other ways.
🐸👍
Love the music. I agree the ending kinda sucks...she could have had both. She's leaving her family for a guy she's only known for a few days. Meh.
Everyone is praisinythe movie but Anastasia never has to have her own ideas. Demetri has lots of agency. And that dog is a plot device.