Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot (1958)

Engulfed in solitude following the venomous demise of his beloved wife and the treacherous defection of his chief warrior, Kurbsky, to the Poles, Ivan is a lone figure on his quest for a unified Russia free from foreign dominion. Craving companionship in his isolated existence, Ivan summons Kolychev to court, a man now known as Philip the monk, crowning him the metropolitan bishop of Moscow in a bid to bridge the chasm of loneliness. Yet, Philip is a puppet in the hands of the influential boyars, as he attempts to manipulate Ivan to succumb to the church's authority. Undeterred, Ivan challenges Philip and unleashes his private force, the formidable Oprichniks, on the scheming boyars. The boyars, led by the crafty Tsar's aunt, Euphrosyne, conspire to assassinate Ivan to pave the way for her son, Vladimir, to seize the throne. In a grueling banquet, Ivan, with a sardonic smile, crowns Vladimir, dressing him in regal robes and dispatching him to the cathedral, where an assassin lurks in the shadowed corners, awaiting his prey.

Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot is a drama movie featuring Nikolai Cherkasov.

Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars' Plot is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and it's also available on Criterion Channel, Max and Max Amazon Channel.