Synopsis
Ernst Lubitsch, well-known for his sophisticated romantic comedies, proved that he was equally adept at historical drama in this lavishly-mounted story. Count Pahlen (Lewis S. Stone) is a close and trusted friend of Paul I (Emil Jannings), a Russian Czar of the 18th century. Russia is in turmoil and the czar fears for his life; while Pahlen holds a fierce loyalty to Paul I as both a friend and a ruler, he is deeply troubled by the czar's increasingly violent tirades, unstable leadership, and the...more