If the first part is that Ivan IV had to be tough in order to get rid of internal and external troubles, the second part is his palace struggle to further consolidate his power and eliminate dissidents. Sergei Eisenstein gradually portrayed Ivan as a capricious and cruel dictator. Whether or not Stalin was insinuated, the director's character creation was extremely successful, including the application of light and the darkening of appearance and clothing. The design, especially the colorful court banquet at the end of the film, buried a sinister murder plan under the very lively group dance.
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