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In 1917, Russian revolutionaries overthrew the last czar, Nicholas, imprisoning him and his family and executing them one year later. Shortly thereafter, rumors began to spread that one of the czar's daughters, Anastasia, was still alive. In 1928, a woman surfaced claiming to be Anastasia. Based on the play, and the fictionalized account of actual events, ANASTASIA tells the story of Anna (Ingrid Bergman), the impoverished, suicidal Russian woman living in Paris who believes she may be Anastasia. When ex-military leader General Bounin, deftly played by Yul Brynner, and his cohorts discover Anna, they convince her, through grueling training sessions, that she is, in fact, the real princess. Yet Anna's own unmistakable memories unnerve even the general who, upon finding her, believed she was only a fake. The climax of the film, in which the Dowager Empress (Helen Hayes), who is still alive, meets Anastasia, is poignant and riveting. Shot on location in Paris, director Anatole Litvak commands incomparable performances from Bergman, Hayes, and Brynner in this captivating tale of lost identity. Bergman won her second Oscar for her winning portrayal that introduces just the right regal note of doubt about her real heritage.
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