according to my father (and my family discussed this at some length afterwards) this program was to show the purposeless and cruel murder of the russian royal family and how the british could have prevented it. i myself gave it 10 out of 10
sharethe murder of the russian royal family was only sown breifly, i thought the film was actually about the kid and the time
shareI thought the purpose was to ensure this forgotten boy is allowed to claim his rightful place in history and how ignorance can be apparent in even supposedly intelligent people.
'She never stated that the stags in the books are male deers.' ~ Gracie11, IMDb troll
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This is a little unfair--as good as I think this movie is, it is not an accurate portrayal of Queen Mary's relationship with Prince John. There is much documentary evidence (letters, dairy entries, etc.) that she spent a lot of time with him, perhaps even more than with her other children, and grieved deeply at his death. Indeed John was better off where he was, surrounded by loving retainers with a companion (the movie doesn't portray this, but he had a daily companion, a little girl invalid who lived nearby), than being seen as some sort of public freak. I really believe the King and Queen did the best thing for him.
shareHere is more information about Prince John and it is more in depth about his life and especially the girl who was his playmate. It is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_John
shareTo Voodooqueen: I think your family has vastly oversimplified Russian history and missed the point of this film.
An excellent book to read on the Russian royal family is the highly readable, entertaining, yet factual Nicholas and Alexandra. I highly recommend it.
I think the film had many purposes, but the main purpose was Poliakoff's stated purpose of showing the events leading up to and surrounding WWI, as seen through the eyes and surroundings of a member of the Rryal family. It was a fascinating review and reminder of the familial interconnection of nearly all the participants in the war, and also a loving portrayal of Prince John and his family and caretakers.