Lavish retelling of the final years of the Russian Tsar and Empress. The film begins in 1904 and shows the stark contrast between the opulent life of the nobility and the poverty of the peasants. Over the years Nicholas cannot satify the needs of the people or prevent Russia's entry into World War I, and the Empress falls under the spell of the evil monk, Rasputin. The film ends with the Russian Revolution and the execution of the royal family.