TICKETS: WE ARE SOLD OUT!
WE ARE SOLD OUT!
WE ARE SOLD OUT!
Film Reviw By Greg Klymkiw, KinoArt Film Fest - Toronto 2009
Hailed as one of the great novels of all-time, Lev Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” has been adapted into so many film and television versions, one wonders if we will ever get the ultimate cinematic rendering of this great story. It has not happened yet, and this new Russian North American premiere in Toronto is blessed with sumptuous production design and excellent performances.
This oft-told tale of tragic romance, infidelity and social commentary is, on the page, an extremely complex work, yet when one boils it down to its essentials, Tolstoy hung the layers of the world he created on a very solid and simple narrative coat rack and delivered a subtle stylistic use of language to create the feeling of a steam engine hurtling its characters in steady forward motion with all the requisite jostles, twists, turns and abrupt, though always temporary stops.The simple love triangle involves Anna, the title character (played beautifully in this version by Tatyana Drubich) and how she escapes a loveless marriage to the bureaucrat Aleksei (Oleg Yankovskiy) when she meets and begins a passionate, scandalous affair with the dashing Count Vronsky (Yaroslav Boyko – definitely dashing, supremely charming and a most excellent choice for this role). A brief reconciliation with her husband eventually gives way to a return to the Count and the two lovers are ostracized by the society they both were once an integral part of. Anna, fearing the Count is unfaithful to her, eventually, and in despair, hurtles herself in front of an oncoming train.That, in a nutshell, is the narrative coat hanger and after seeing many film and television adaptations of the novel, I am inclined to think that the best attempts to render the story visually are the ones where the filmmakers do not stray too far from the simplicity of
Tolstoy’s dramatic story structure and leave the dense novelistic complexities aside. To date, my favourite versions of this tale remain David O. Selznick’s production of the Clarence Brown-directed film starring Greta Garbo and Alexander Korda’s production of the Julien Duvivier-directed rendering that stars Vivien Leigh.Oddly enough, it is the two Russian versions I’ve seen that I like least. The 1967 Mosfilm production of “Anna Karenina” is not without merit, especially with its elephantine 70mm treatment, but it feels like a half-epic; not long enough to flesh out the aspects of the novel usually left out of the film adaptations and long enough to be tedious. This might have a lot to do with the disjointedness of the film and the fact that it’s caught in the horrible middle of including too much and not enough.This, of course, does not seem to be the problem with Solovyov’s TV mini-series version. In many ways, it might actually be the ultimate version in terms of remaining as faithful to the events of Tolstoy’s novel. And though it is well made and is endowed with an adherence to the text, there is something lacking in the medium it presents itself in. While the production seems perfectly serviceable for television consumption, it just does not have what it takes to raise itself to the stylistic heights of either Brown or Duvivier’s versions which both have the stylistic, very theatrical (big-screen) and expressionistic flourishes of cinema.It is interesting that late in life Tolstoy lamented the fact that he had yet to find a medium of artistic expression that would be ideal for what he really wanted to do. I always find this lament so strange given his ground-breaking literary achievements, but it is a fact that he did indeed feel this way and even dabbled with using the stage to create a multi-dimensional rendering of his prose. Alas, he found that the proscenium was also too constricting. When he finally realized that the medium of film was just what the doctor ordered for presenting stories in a truly multi-dimensional platform, he was in his final years and the medium was still at its earliest stages.I look back at most of the film and television adaptations of Tolstoy’s work, including this new version of "Anna Karenina", and it is with a considerable degree of wistfulness that I dream and wonder what magic Lev Tolstoy might have wrought if God had given us another century of this great artist to ply his trade as an auteur of cinema.
WE ARE SOLD OUT - DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS!
Movie Review: ‘Anna Karenina’
Russian Film Week in New York
By Joe Bendel 2009
KARENINA: Oleg Yankovsky as Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin and Tatyana Drubich as Anna Karenina in director Sergei Solovyev's adaption of the classic Russian novel. (Courtesy of Russian Film Week)
“A great Russian brand” is how director Sergei Solovyev described Leo Tolstoy in a press conference held on Friday. He also credited Oprah Winfrey for helping bring his screen adaptation of "Anna Karenina" to fruition when she recommended it to her Pavlovian viewers, making an unlikely bestseller of the nineteenth century novel. While Solovyev might have departed stylistically from earlier film treatments, rest assured he did not “Oprah-ize” his big screen version of Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” which opened this year’s Russian Film Week in New York City."Karenina" is a rich, complex, and lengthy novel, but it can be readily boiled down to its essence. Anna Alexandrovna Karenina is married to the much older Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, but she is the lover of the dashing Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.
“A great Russian brand” is how director Sergei Solovyev described Leo Tolstoy in a press conference held on Friday. He also credited Oprah Winfrey for helping bring his screen adaptation of "Anna Karenina" to fruition when she recommended it to her Pavlovian viewers, making an unlikely bestseller of the nineteenth century novel. While Solovyev might have departed stylistically from earlier film treatments, rest assured he did not “Oprah-ize” his big screen version of Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” which opened this year’s Russian Film Week in New York City."Karenina" is a rich, complex, and lengthy novel, but it can be readily boiled down to its essence. Anna Alexandrovna Karenina is married to the much older Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, but she is the lover of the dashing Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.
Their situation produces conflict that is timeless and universal.Most prior adaptations of “Karenina” have been formal costume dramas, very conscious of their status as prestige pictures. While the sets and costumes are appropriately elegant, Solovyev’s approach is much more impressionistic, employing saturated colors and deliberately cinematic lighting effects. Likewise, composer Anna Solovyeva’s score also reflects a great variety of moods and textures, but it always nicely fits the on-screen drama.Considering they are playing two of the greatest lovers in the history of literature, Tatyana Drubich and Yaroslav Boyko seem like surprisingly cold fish as Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky, respectively.Strangely, it is the old men who fare best in Soloyev’s "Karenina", with Oleg Yankovsky bringing unusual dignity and gravitas to the role of Karenin, the often overlooked side of this classic love triangle. Sergey Garmash, known for playing heavies in Nikita Mikhalkov’s “12” and Anders Banke’s Tribeca-selected “Newsmakers,” is also quite effective, but almost unrecognizable as Kostya Levin, the spurned suitor of Anna’s youngest sister-in-law, Kitty.
While Solovyev brings a distinctive new look to the material, “Karenina” still has plenty of good old-fashioned literary melodrama to offer. It might not be the best “Karenina” yet filmed, but it is certainly an apt way to kick-off the Russian Film Week.
Язык фильма: русский.Звук: Dolby Digital.
Тип съёмки: Кинопленка 35 mm.
Продолжительность фильма: 160 мин.
Тип съёмки: Кинопленка 35 mm.
Продолжительность фильма: 160 мин.
Режиссёр:
Сергей Александрович Соловьев
Сергей Александрович Соловьев
Сценаристы:Сергей Александрович Соловьев, Лев Толстой
Композитор:Сергей Анатольевич Курехин
В ролях
Татьяна Друбич — Анна Каренина
Олег Янковский — Алексей Каренин
Ярослав Бойко — Вронский
Сергей Гармаш — Левин
Мария Аниканова — Кити
Александр Абдулов — Стива Облонский
Елена Дробышева — Долли
Евгения Крюкова — Бетси Тверская
Людмила Савельева — княгиня Щербацкая
Татьяна Друбич — Анна Каренина
Олег Янковский — Алексей Каренин
Ярослав Бойко — Вронский
Сергей Гармаш — Левин
Мария Аниканова — Кити
Александр Абдулов — Стива Облонский
Елена Дробышева — Долли
Евгения Крюкова — Бетси Тверская
Людмила Савельева — княгиня Щербацкая
Большая часть съемок проходила в музее-усадьбе Льва Толстого "Ясная Поляна", что, по мнению режиссеру, помогло создать особую атмосферу, проникнуться духом творчества великого писателя.
"Очень радушно принимали нас и в Санкт-Петербурге, где съемочной группе были предоставлены для работы его знаменитые дворцы и особняки", - сказал Сергей Соловьев.
"Очень радушно принимали нас и в Санкт-Петербурге, где съемочной группе были предоставлены для работы его знаменитые дворцы и особняки", - сказал Сергей Соловьев.
Рассказывая о съемках "Анны Карениной", режиссер вспоминает, что картина снималась "очень тяжело, с большими сложностями". "У меня все время было такое впечатление, что что-то мне это напоминает. Потом вспомнил – "Театральный роман" Булгакова. Сам процесс напоминал "Театральный роман", – говорит режиссер. – Я подумал, что жалко, что фильм "8 ½" существует, а не существует кинематографического романа. Я стал думать, и как-то совершенно естественно получилось из этого дела, что додумался до "Ассы-2".
Долгожданная кинопремьера - фильм "Анна Каренина" Сергея Соловьева
14 лет съемок. Блестящий актерский состав - одни из последних своих ролей в картине сыграли Александр Абдулов и Олег Янковский. Лента обещает стать одним из главных кино-событий года.
Репортаж Дмитрия Витова.
Фильм "Анна Каренина" еще только задумывался, а вокруг него уже витало немало слухов. Что за 14 лет, пока его снимали, Сергей Соловьев и сценарий менял, и состав артистов, и концепцию. И вот объявили премьеру, за один день распродали все билеты. А пленку привезли в Петербург только накануне ночью. И до утра разматывали и склеивали прямо в коридорах оперного театра, где эта премьера была запланирована.
Сергей Соловьев, режиссер фильма "Анна Каренина", народный артист России: "Ничего совершенно нового и не хотел говорить. И не было такого желания. Когда-то Рихтер замечательно сказал пианистам, музыкантам вообще: "Внимательно читайте партитуру произведения, которое играете. Там все написано".
Соловьеву удалось собрать блестящий актерский ансамбль. Стиву Облонского, например, сыграл Александр Абдулов, а Олег Янковский - Алексея Каренина. Для обоих артистов эти роли стали одними из последних. И когда они встречаются в кадре, в зале уже никто не прячет слез.
Виктор Новиков, театровед: "Первое впечатление - совершенно выдающаяся и потрясающая работа Олега Янковского. Я такого Каренина не представлял себе, не видел".
Владимир Гусев, директор Государственного Русского музея: "Я смотрел почти со слезами. Вообще надо напоминать людям, что в жизни есть что-то настоящее - и чувства, и страсть, мы это забываем".
Зал Михайловского театра для первых сеансов выбран не случайно. В фильме дотошно воспроизведен дворянский быт второй половины XIX века. На съемках артисты жили в усадьбе "Ясная Поляна", дворцах Петербурга и Москвы, на старых железнодорожных станциях. Для актеров сшили около 200 костюмов, воссоздав даже оттиск на пуговицах.
Роман Льва Толстого начали экранизировать, еще когда кино было черно-белое и немое. В мире существует более 30 киноверсий "Анны Карениной". В свое время ее сыграли Грета Гарбо, Вивьен Ли, Софии Марсо, Алла Тарасова, Татьяна Самойлова. У Сергея Соловьева в главной роли - Татьяна Друбич. Это первое ее появление на большом экране после почти 10-летнего перерыва.
Татьяна Друбич, актриса, исполнительница роли Анны Карениной: "Мне кажется, это естественно - бояться сыграть Анну Каренину, ее нельзя просто сыграть, это не просто раскладывается на актерское мастерство, технику".
Критики уже признают: "Анна Каренина" обещает стать кинособытием года.
ANNA KARENINA Filmography
1. "Anna Karenina" (2009) Played by Tatyana Drubich (as Anna Arkadyevna Karenina)
2. "Anna Karenina" (2000) TV series Played by Helen McCrory
3. Anna Karenina (1997) Played by Sophie Marceau
4. Anna Karenina (1985) (TV) Played by Jacqueline Bisset
5. Der lebende Leichnam (1981) (TV) Played by Lola Müthel
6. "Anna Karenina" - Episode #1.10 (1977) TV episode, Played by Nicola Pagett - Episode #1.9 (1977) TV episode, Played by Nicola Pagett - Episode #1.8 (1977) TV episode, Played by Nicola Pagett - Episode #1.7 (1977) TV episode, Played by Nicola Pagett - Episode #1.6 (1977) TV episode, Played by Nicola Pagett (5 more)
7. La passion d'Anna Karénine (1975) (TV) Played by Ludmilla Tchérina (as Anna Karénine)
8. "Novela" - Ana Karenina VI (1975) TV episode, Played by María Silva (as Ana Karenina) - Ana Karenina (1975) TV episode, Played by María Silva (as Ana Karenina)
9. Anna Karenina (1974) (TV) Played by Lea Massari
10. Anna Karenina (1974) Played by Maya Plisetskaya
11. Elävä ruumis (1969) (TV) Played by Marja Korhonen (as Anna Dimitrievna Karenina)
12. Anna Karenina (1967) Played by Tatyana Samojlova
13. Anna Karenina (1953) Played by Alla Tarasova (as Anna Arkadnyevna Karenina)
14. Anna Karenina (1948) Played by Vivien Leigh
15. Anna Karenina (1935) Played by Greta Garbo
16. Love (1927/I) Played by Greta Garbo
17. Anna Karenina (1919) Played by Lya Mara
18. Anna Karenina (1918) Played by Irén Varsányi
19. Anna Karenina (1915) Played by Betty Nansen
20. Anna Karenina (1914) Played by Mariya Germanova
21. Anna Karenina (1911) Played by M. Sorochtina
