The film is based on Modest Mussorgsky's opera about the tragic events surrounding Russian tsar Boris in the early 17th century. The recording was made with the Washington Symphony Orchestra and opera stars, including Galina Vishnevskaya. The film is presented as a theatrical performance, with deliberate anachronisms that comment on Soviet history and 20th-century dictatorships.
Boris Godounov
In 17th-century Russia, Tsar Boris's life is defined by calamity and unrest as he navigates the complexities of his tumultuous reign.