Prix de la Critique internationale (FIPRESCI), 2003
Prix du meilleur film, du meilleur premier film et de la critique au festival "Kinotavr", 2003
Plot synopsis
The title of the film quotes the phrase with which Emperor Paul, played by Viktor Sukhorukov, once heard himself addressed by his great-grandfather, Peter I, in a hallucinatory vision. It expresses the remorse and self-pity that Paul feels on the eve of his assassination by imperial guards. At the same time, it alludes to the bequest that the founder of Russia’s 18th century left for his heirs and it serves thematically to unite the three films of Vitalii Mel'nikov’s historical trilogy, which include The Royal Hunt (1990) and Tsarevich Alexei (1997). Paul is portrayed to a certain extent as a victim and the intellectual appeal of the film is in deciphering the particular workings of palace politics and the degree to which blame can be placed directly upon Paul for the tragedy of his brief reign.
Source : www.kinokultura.com