The Last Tsarinas

As a general introduction to the German princesses who married into the Russian Romanov family and became grand duchesses and (in some cases) tsarinas, filmmaker Hannes Schuler’s documentary is simply adequate. Mitigating the possibility of a dry history lesson by placing, front and center, a descendant of last Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (spouse of Tsar Nicholas II, who ruled from 1894 through 1917), the film follows Maria von Preusen, a modern young woman who beams delightedly anytime someone tells her that she resembles her royal ancestor. Not surprisingly, the documentary largely focuses on Alexandra—the former Princess Charlotte of Prussia—and how her former life and identity completely disappeared during her formal transformation into becoming first a Romanov and then Tsarina. Along the way, the film also employs animation and numerous aerial images of the luxurious mansions, palaces, and institutes that the Romanovs built at the cost of a rising revolt. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)