Rasputin, the Mad Monk

Rasputin, the Mad Monk is a 1966 Hammer film directed by Don Sharp. It stars Christopher Lee as Grigori Rasputin, the Russian peasantmystic who gained great influence with the Tsars prior to the Russian Revolution. It also features Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Richard Pasco, Dinsdale Landen and Rene Asherson. The story is largely fictionalized, although some of the events leading up to Rasputins assassination are very loosely based on Prince Yusupovs account of the story. For legal reasons, the character of Yusupov was replaced by Ivan Matthews. Yusupov was still alive when the film was released, dying onSeptember 1967.

The story begins in the Russian countryside, where Rasputin heals the sick wife of an innkeeper Derek Francis. When he is later hauled before an Orthodox bishop for his sexual immorality and violence, the innkeeper springs to the monks defense. Rasputin protests that he is sexually immoral because he likes to give God sins worth forgiving loosely based on Rasputins rumored connection to Khlysty, an obscure Christian sect which believed that those deliberately committing fornication, then repenting bitterly, would be closer to God. He also claims to have healing powers in his hands, and is unperturbed by the bishops accusation that his power comes from Satan.Rasputin heads for St. Petersburg, where he forces his way into the home of Dr Zargo Pasco, from where he begins his campaign to gain influence over the Tsarina Asherson. He manipulates one of the Tsarinas ladiesinwaiting, Sonia Shelley, whom he uses to satisfy his voracious sexual appetite and gain access to the Tsarina. He places her in a trance to injure the czars heir Alexei, so that Rasputin can be called to court to heal him. After, this success, he hypnotizes the Tsarina to replace her existing doctor with Zargo who has previously been struck off after a scandal. ........

Source: Wikipedia