I can't recommend this movie to any of my friends, and that's a first.

Rating: Null/10 (25 October 2002)

Perhaps seeing this a second time in its entirety would help me understand what everyone sees in this "historical" epic.
The first time I watched this, I couldn't believe that I wasn't liking it. I stopped it shortly into the second part and it took me forever to be bored enough to finish it. When it ended, my jaw dropped, and the first thing out of my mouth was "That was stupid!" For such a complex and layered story, I wondered just what was it I didn't understand. Perhaps it was because I wasn't paying attention for the first part and so on. I'll have to watch it again before I can give it a full critique.
Like Casablanca, I thought I knew the story, and didn't. It was terrible, unlike the former. I thought I knew the music, and I did, but when I heard the main theme I wanted to mute the sound, for some reason.
Why do people think this is history? It's like Pearl Harbor and Titanic: fictional love story set in a real life event. For a love story mixed with revolution, read Les Miserables, or perhaps read Pasternak. For those who are into the Russian Revolution as I am, I recommend Rasputin, or read Nicholas and Alexandra; don't waste your time poisoning your mind with the movie. My advice on this one is see it at your own risk. I don't know what everyone sees in it... yet! But perhaps after a second viewing I'll be able to critique it more.