MovieChat Forums > Anastasia (1997) Discussion > Is Rasputin even needed?

Is Rasputin even needed?

posted 13 years ago by ANightToRemember
12 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this film a good number of times, and the same question always comes back to me: is there even a real reason for Rasputin to be here, besides the fact that he's... well, an antagonist?

For example, nothing he does seems to affect the overall plot much. They have no he exists until the last few minutes of the film, and his plan to "kill" Anastasia doesn't really affect them much at all. The train crash doesn't stop them or really contribute to the plot (it's never mentioned or thought of) and the same goes for the ship thing. They don't seem to think much of anything.

Actually, Rasputin just sort of complains the majority of the movie. The bat doesn't do anything either, and I'm still pondering any purpose they had in the film other than to be something even closer to Disney. Plus, it's not like we can take him seriously as a villain. He's a pretty lame villain (though I feel that was the intention) and he's no Scar or Frollo. There's nothing about him that really does seem to mesh with the characters. It just seems sort of unnecessary to have him in the movie at all.

I've always felt it should have been focusing on Anastasia and the "finding her identity" theme while also confronting her inner demons with her returning memories of her family's murder or something. I love the movie and it works well without Rasputin. He's an incredibly interesting character choice and they did some clever things with him, like mixing history and fiction to go with the film, but he just sort of feels like a pointless add-on, or a missed opportunity to make a really dark villain in this, which is something I feel like would have worked a little better.

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[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] greenjello77 13 years ago

Ditto. He doesnt really have a motive to kill the family either...he just wants them dead for the sake of them being dead.

[–] JustEs 13 years ago

A lot of what brought Dmitry and Anya together was due to Rasputin trying to kill them. I found him very necessary, wondering whether his curse would actually cause Anya's death.

You're entitled to your opinion as long as I'm entitled to mine. And this is mine!

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] countrygirltori 12 years ago

I skip over his scenes too...Usually I love the villain scenes! Ursula in "Poor Unfortunate Souls", Scar in "Be Prepared", and ANY scene with Cruella DeVille. I find him disappointing as a villain. I think it would have worked if they gave him more of a motive than just wanting the family dead. Why did he want them dead. I like that they didn't fabricate a new character to become a villain, but actually used a person who historically had an influence of the Romanov family. They just missed the boat on making him a great villain. He was just kind of creepy and annoying. Didn't really hate him except for the fact that his scenes took time away from watching the fun bickering that Dmetri and Anya had going on.

[–] MizzNijna 11 years ago

I think this could be a voice-thing. I am watching the english version for the first time as we speak, and I find Rasputin to be very dull and I love him. Specially his song. There is this tone to his voice that makes me cringe, the swedish voice is a hundered times better for him I must say.

(And yes I am totally biased ^_^)

[–] sbowesuk 12 years ago

Funnily enough I thought the same thing. Seems he was thrown in for the sake of it, and the plot could have been driven without him. He's not even a strong character. Basically a Jafar ripoff.

[–] Imzeikycheiky 12 years ago

He is needed they just should have made him more interesting but he is seriously really lame and annoying. I would have given this movie a 10/10 but his scenes drag it down.

[–] LadyMiraculous 11 years ago

He is needed they just should have made him more interesting but he is seriously really lame and annoying. I would have given this movie a 10/10 but his scenes drag it down.

I completely agree! He's the only thing that ruins this movie for me.

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[–] cbjslp 12 years ago

As an imitation of Disney-type plots, he was thrown in as a frightening living corpse just to scare the little kids.

[–] Errington_92 11 years ago

I think it would have worked if they gave him more of a motive than just wanting the family dead. Why did he want them dead

Rasputin was in limbo because Anastasia had survived therefore not succeeding in his pledge. His motive was to escape from limbo.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

[–] enchanted89 10 years ago

For me, I like the inclusion of Rasputin. I like the idea of him as this wicked sorcerer. But I agree that it felt kind of choppy toward the end. He just kind of came and went quickly. He could've have haunted her a little more or revealed himself earlier, and then they make a suspenseful/race-against-time last act. But whatever, still love the movie.