Peter the Great (The Mini-Series)

Watched this many year's ago on TV,Read the book and VHS copy over the year's. Learned a lot about Russia and the characters that shaped modern Russia. Watched this a few times.

Enjoy ed watching this series and a great adaptation of the book.

This is a very good series for television. I remember watching it as a teenager. Good buy!!

Not a bad DVD but it obviously could be better. It's obviously that it was a quick copy, perhaps off of a VHS or master print. It doesn't even have DVD chapters that one can go to on a player or language dubs or as another review mentioned a closed captioned option. Although most TVs have a closed caption option, I wonder if turning that on would rectify that issue. Not sure though.It's a really cheaply made DVD and really isn't worth the price it's being sold for. I bought for my father for Father's Day because he loves this series. He has worn out his VHS copies and I wanted to get him a copy on a DVD disk. The four stars on this review is mainly for the fact that it is available on DVD. I just honestly wish that the copy was of a better quality. It just basically plays like a VHS copy. But my old man is *very* happy that he has a DVD copy of this wonderful mini-series and that's the other reason why I am giving it a fairly high review rating.

Peter the Great offers nearly nonstop action along with oodles of dramatic tension. Early on we see public and brutal political assassinations while being simultaneously introduced to Peter as a child with the early yearnings and ambitions of a great ruler. Even in less violent times palace intrigue never dissipates as the battle between Peter and his sister nemesis Sophia who would usurp his power rages on. All the while, Peter pursues interests in culture, science and warfare that will drag Russia kicking and screaming out of the dark ages. He performs this miracle with the assistance of the illustrious Isaac Newton. Russian isolationism and tradition are as formidable opponents as his sister in the meantime. The story is so good it's easy to overlook the fact that Bob Massie couldn't possibly have had such detailed knowledge of his historic subject.

I watched this series many years ago on TV. I liked it then, and I liked being able to buy it on DVD. On the DVD they show one gruesome scene as an "out take" but I remember it well as being a part of the series as it was originally shown on TV. It actually should have been included where it belongs in the story, because it shows that Peter was not afraid to get his hands dirty when it was necessary, in contrast to his overly religious, weak and worthless son.

I thought this docudrama was lost.I glad that it is still available on DVD. Most of the information in Massey's book were covered; however, would have liked to see more details about Peter's tour of western Europe and how he constructed St. Petersburg.

I had read the book and the series followed it close enough. Lot's of important stuff was not here but the basics were there.Peter could have been taller by using shorter supporting case. His travels and trials were well laid out. A good series.

Es un film con 4 discos en formato de mini serie que presenta la muy interesante vida de este gran tzar ruso de forma muy auténtica, entrenida y divertida.

Based on a book written depicting the life of “Peter The Great” of Russia.I know very little about Russia, the history, the leaders and how they came into power.I am aware of contemporary reported news over the decades and currently.If this Mini Series is based on historical fact, it is an interesting watch, and hopefully will lead to personal research.The making of it is of its era, eg dramatic music where none is necessary.I have yet to view the whole series.

A brave and moderately successful attempt to transfer Robert K Massie's magisterial biography of Peter the Great into 350 minutes of viewing time. Inevitably there are certain liberties taken with the facts and numerous gaps in the story including the last seven years of his life following the death of his son which led to the transfer of power to his widow Catherine. At the same time, Peter's visits to countries in Western Europe in pursuit of the knowledge that would raise Russia out of its Medieval past, his struggle for supremacy over his bitter rival Charles XII of Sweden and his crowning achievement in the building of St Petersburg are either glossed over or receive only superficial coverage. I am not entirely sure that Mr Massie would have been all that happy with the result. But for all that, the performance of Jan Niklas and Maximilian Schell, playing the young and older Peter, combine with costumes, sets and atmosphere to provide a fairly convincing image of Peter and his struggle to drag Russia kicking and screaming into the 18th century.

Everything Correct ! Thank you

While this set is a very good one the quality of the images are just slightly better than VHS, (still watchable on a 46" screen) mind you this is also a old series before DVDs or HD TV sets. If you can overlook the image transfer it is great value of a very interesting period of the Russian history. Note, you will need a DVD player that plays multi zones, luckily I have one, so watching European movies or even Blu-ray is not an issue.