Onegin (1999)

a good adaptation. the right performances. the atmosphere of a time when all does other sense of small things and gestures and words. it is strange to describe something who seems be more than a trip across the poem of Pushkin. because it is a reinvention of a world who impress for the status of contemporary story. for the precise, fine performances, for the states of Onegin , each of it defining the fall of a world too empty. a film about desire and love. the delicacy of the creation of the characters represents one of basic virtues. then, Liam Neeson who becomes, scene by scene, the perfect Onegin. not the least, the music. sure , to use Chaikovski is a better choice but Beethoven , in this case, has its precious purpose to reflect emotions with deep roots in the story. short, a beautiful film. in many senses.

Having just seen Onegin and already owning a DVD of Orlando, I was struck by a strong similarity of one scene. The scene in question is in Orlando (made seven years earlier) when Orlando's love interest, Charlotte Valandrey (as Princess Sasha) is skating on the ice wearing a black fur hat. She looks straight into the camera, skates a little and then another look into camera. This exact sequence is replicated in Onegin by Liv Tyler (as Tatyana Larina). Both women have outstanding beauty which seems to be emphasized by the black fur, contrasted against the icy backdrop (or is that just me!). Did anyone else notice? Both great films in my opinion, lush settings and compelling stories.

Many viewers are quick to note the fine effort of the Fiennes family to bring a Russian literary masterpiece on screen in the English language. The Fiennes family need to be complimented for their dedicated work to bring such an important literary work closer to thousands who would never have heard the name of Yevgeny Onegin.However, I would like to underline the work of Martha Fiennes--the director. This is a marvelous debut for a director. The pivotal point of the film is the letter of Tatyana to Yevgeny. If the viewer were to replace the images of the blue/black ink with red blood, the images could have been of a lover hurting oneself while writing the letter. Pushkin intended this savage intensity--Ms. Fiennes succeeds in capturing this on screen without the blood. After the letter is written, the writer cleans her fingers on the white dress. The director's detailed shots on the writing of the letter, the opening of the letter, and the refusal of the return of the letter are visually as important as any performance in the film.Second, Martha Fiennes is to be complimented on the sartorial details of Tatyana. The gradual change in clothes--color-wise and wealth-wise--is structurally well done in tandem with the plot of Pushkin.I particularly loved the sequences of Onegin staring at neck of his lost love during the concert--Ms Feinnes captures the mood eloquently with shots which could easily have been spoiled had the camera been placed in front of the two actors.The opening shot of the sleigh drawn by horses is very Russian. Unfortunately, for Ms Feinnes, Russian director Igor Talankin's film "Tchaikovsky" had used similar imagery--only Talankin did it much better with striking effect.The duel sequence is perhaps an important part of the film, if one recalls the writer Pushkin himself went through such an ordeal in real life--I do not recall if "Yevgeny Onegin" was written before or after the incident...But Ms Feinnes' duel sequence is comparable to those of Kubrick in "Barry Lyndon" or Ridley Scott's brilliant early work "The Duellists." It is equally interesting to note that Pushkin's work alludes to the importance of married persons remaining faithful to each other--in real life Pushkin demanded the same of his wife, but suspected his spouse was cheating on him and this forced the duel that wounded him in real life.But what is the modern windmill doing in "Tsarist Russia"? The windmills in Tsarist Russia I believe had more spokes (or hands), if we were to go by the paintings of that era..Ms. Fiennes' on the other hand has taken care of details that a male director would have perhaps overlooked--the postures of Tatyana in the boat hidden by the reeds. Ms. Fiennes has shown talent in many ways that recall the brilliance of Julie Taymor. I only wish Fiennes were a Russian director using Russian actors--the work would then have been so real. For an effort from a non-Russian, I applaud her work as a director and the contribution of her family to the finished product. So is the contribution of cinematographer Remi Adeferasin. The performance of Liv Tyler should be assessed against the opportunity the role offered--she was good but not outstanding--she has done better under the direction of Robert Altman.

"Onegin" is a charming and dramatic romance. It contains all of the elements of a great film. The acting is underplayed. The cinematography is perfection itself. The colors are muted in concert with the drama itself. One can only desire an extension of the romantic relationship with Onegin himself and his lovely sweetheart. There are very dramatic moments including the duel on the pier. The snow scenes are reminiscent of "Dr. Zhivago". I can highly recommend this picture for those romantics at heart. Alexander Pushkin would be proud to see this serious play in cinematic form. It is now in DVD format with excellent soundtrack and special features. This is one not to miss.