Vasil the Great (film)
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
| Vasil the Great Василий Велики | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Zhelyazko Yasenov |
| Written by | Stanislov Ivanev |
| Screenplay by | Zdravko Vladislavev |
| Story by | Grozdan Nikolav |
| Based on | The Life of St. Vasil the Great by Gregori Renev |
| Produced by | Hristofor Krumev |
| Starring | Stanimir Kirilev Stoyanka Todoreva Ognyan Branimirev Spas Sabinev Zora Spaseva |
| Cinematography | Theodosii Kaloyanov |
| Edited by | Elian Asparuhev Delyan Dimov |
| Music by | Aleksi Yavorev |
Production company | Tengarian National Films |
| Distributed by | Infinity Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 242 Minutes |
| Country | Tengaria |
| Language | Tengarian |
Vasil the Great (Tengarian: Василий Велики) is a 1958 Tengarian epic historical drama and biographical film directed by Zhelyazko Yasenov, produced by Hristofor Krumev, and starring Stanimir Kirilev as the title character. The movie centers around the life of the Tengarian Emperor St. Vasil the Great, who ruled over Tengaria for a period of 37 years. During his reign, he became a decisive leader against the iconoclast movement, became Emperor after the fall of the Empire of Arciluco to establish the Empire of Tengaria, was the mastermind behind the Council of Lenovo, and ultimately laid the cultural and intellectual groundwork which resulted in the Tengarian Renaissance. As such, the movie spans a total period of over fifty years, and touches on many of the most important historical events of the time. The movie itself is largely based on a biography of Vasil written by Tengarian author Gregori Renev called The Life of St. Vasil the Great, but also draws elements from other sources about his life.
A highly ambitious and wide reaching film over four hours long, the film was sponsored by the Tengarian government to be symbolic of its new beginning following the conclusion of the Tengarian Civil War. The film was in certain regards a personal passion project by the President of Tengaria, Simeon Kovachev, who was highly supportive of the movie's development and even appeared in a cameo appearance. It remains one of the most involved productions in film history, featuring hundreds of horses, thousands of extras, and a massive production crew. The result is a tour de force which saw massive success on both the national and international scale for its power and spectacle. However, the religious and nationalist themes which accompanied the movie were not universally accepted and criticized heavily by some reviewers. The film debuted at the 19th Montecara Film Festival, where it managed to secure the prestigious Béco aùreo. It is widely regarded as Tengaria's greatest film.
Plot
Cast
The cast of the movie is very large, with over 50 named roles and thousands of extras. The principal actors in the cast are:
- Stanimir Kirilev as Vasil V Prostov, Grand Prince of Tengaria, later Emperor and Saint
- Stoyanka Todoreva as Teodora, wife of Vasil
- Ognyan Branimirev as the Alexander III, Ecumenical Patriarch
- Spas Sabinev as Alexandru, leader of the Order of Thorns
- Zora Spaseva as Maria, daughter of the last Emperor of Arciluco
- Imre Ivity as Saint Boris the Confessor, Archbishop of Istros and Patriarch of Tengaria
- Blagun Hristov as Bartolomeu IV, the upstart Ecumenical Patriarch and principal Bishop of the Iconoclast movement
- Nedelcho Atanasev as Prince Petar, the eldest son and heir expectant of Vasil
- Nikolay Elianev as Vasil II, Vasil's grandson and later heir
- Tihomir Mihailev as the last Emperor of Arciluco